Fire Emblem: Awaken to Dreams
by Thoaria
Summary: Ugh...When I thought life couldn't get any worse *cough* MATH *cough* I was whisked away from my home and plopped down in Ylisse. It's just an avatar thing really. Wake up in a field, save a town and get dragged into these saving the world shenanigans. But that's not all. Something seems off about this place. As if the creepy lady wasn't enough. Yeah, I'm screwed...Oh joy! R&R!
1. Chapter 1: A Day in the Ordinary Life

**Beh! My shot at a self-insert on the side! YAY. Another awakening fic, mind you. With the only pairing I can get myself to write OCxChrom! I mean I can pair other characters…but I have an add inability to not go with this pairing…Grrr…Damn me. I'm that girl.**

**Heh…Well, this is sort of 'based' on my ordinary life…Eh…Sort of! What I'll (hopefully) be like in a few years.**

**Just a rundown of what she looks like…**

**Height: Tall (Five feet, nine and a half inches)**

**Hair Color: Brown (curly, shoulder length)**

**Eye Color: Bright blue.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Day in the Ordinary Life**

Ugh. Face meet desk. Good. Now, you're acquainted.

Did I mention that I hate Math? Well, not Math per se…but my teacher...Gods! I mean God…I've been ready way too many fics and books with more than one god.

We were working out of the textbook and I had just been proven wrong, utterly-might I add-by the teacher. Me Ms. Genius. I hate it so much. And my average is going to get killed. That's going to affect whether or not I can become a peer tutor. GREEAAAT.

Bell? Can you just ring already? I need some way to gauge the time remaining in this DOUBLE period. English class, my only reprieve, I dream of you as I dig through my pile of never ending math problems and homework.

I mean seriously! This eighteen-year-old has a _life _outside of doing homework! And this week was not coolio! I need time. The first varsity volleyball practices are this week. I don't have time for your near impossible math-figure-out-word sheets! Then there's track and field…And I'm getting my tutoree. That's not a word…Now it is…

I lifted my head as something hit the back of my neck. Probably an eraser. I turned to face the per-UGH. It was Brandon…

"Hey! Fedeltà! Don't let Mrs. M catch you sleeping!" ….That wasn't annoying or snarky. Oh, joy!

"I have a first name, ya know!" I sighed and pulled out my fanfic notebook. That's not weird. Nu-uh! "What's with you today? Acting all nice and such? Not annoying or anything…"

He snorted. "Please. If I had any interest in not annoying you, I wouldn't speak to you at all, Ms. Genius."

"…" I turned away. I'll just beat him up at the track meet today. Then we'll see.

I looked back down at my small spiral notebook. Hm. Now that will be an interesting topic. A Fire Emblem: Awakening fic with an annoying, snarky, Chrom. Oh, ho! That will be an interesting one indeed. A crude, dirty mouthed, Lissa and bitchy Sumia too. Oh! This'll be a fun-_RIIIIIINNNG_-hour.

* * *

That was not a fun hour! Neither was the rest of the day…I got proven wrong three more times, got a C on the quiz that was handed back and had to have her recheck it and got an A-. That's more like it my friends!

"Hey!" Oh, who now…I turned and saw one of my best friends.

"Oh, Rei, hi!" Get out of the building, you're almost to the town hall for track, just walk out of the blasted school. And sunshine!

"So, are you free today?" Rei, that wasn't her real name, was a pretty awesome gal. She was short, often thought of as a child, and had longish blonde hair that was usually in an intricate braid that I couldn't figure out. Don't let her size fool you though. She has a fiery personality, hence the nickname Rei (who ever guesses who I'm referring to is awesome), and like a…mother bear. Like she's overprotective.

"Nope. Planning to kick Brandon's ass at the track meet today, though."

Her blue eyes glittered with mischief. "Oh? Are you sure you wouldn't want to do something besides that to him?"

"Awww heeelll no!"

"Ha! Just messing with you!" Rei tilted her head in thought. "Don't you have that meeting with Mrs. Faulton today for who you'll be tutoring?"

My feet stopped on the sidewalk and threw my head back in annoyance. "Back to the school!"

* * *

"You're client is…" Mrs. Faulton shuffled through the papers until she got to my name. "Brandon Gonzales."

What.

….

WHAT?!

"B-Brandon G-Gonzales?!" I said before I could catch myself.

My old teacher nodded, "Yes, is there something wrong with that?"

As I was saying before, Brandon Gonzales is really annoying, but he's smart and isn't quiet about it! So he wants to annoy me outside of our classes now? Oh, did I mention that he's in every single one of them? How is he failing?!

"Er…No, Mrs. F," I said quietly. Is this some sort of elaborate joke? "It's just that, you know how annoying he can be…"

"Annoying? He doesn't speak out of turn or misbehave." What.

Is it just me then? _Just_ me. Gawds. I wonder what his problem with me is.

"All right…What does he need help with?"

"English."

"Okay, when do I meet with him?" I said, yelling profanities in my mind. Must he ruin one of my favorite subjects? One of mine. Thank god it wasn't Social Studies. Sorry, English, but Social Studies takes the cake.

"Well, from the schedule I made from your combined time windows…Mondays and Fridays in the school library. During lunch and after school."

"Okay, I guess I'll go meet him then…" I regrettably trudged out the door, past Rei and into the library.

* * *

"Okay!" I said as I found him in the library. "Must you always ruin my life?!" I received a glare from one of the supervising teachers. Sorry! "I ask for one moment's peace on Halloween! Why'd you _have_ to fail in English?"

"Well, excuuuse me princess," the brown haired guy muttered before taking out his materials, "Maybe if English were interesting, I wouldn't fail."

"You _failed_ on _purpose_ just to get me as your tutor and bother me even more." I stated plainly before pulling out a random notebook, which I assumed was my English 'tutoring' one. I opened it and placed it in front of him, "Now read whatever sentence is in there and correct it."

"Er… 'Sumia flew in in on her pegasus's back, brandishing an iron lance and ready to kick ass like the bitch she was?'" He looked at me with a confused half grin.

"Eh…What?" I looked at the book as he continued to read, much to my embarrassment.

"'The javelin fell a few feet short of Chrom as Sumia yelled at him for being a dunce…'"

"Eh…Ah…Give me that!" I quickly pulled it out of his reach, blushing profusely. "Wrong notebook…H-here. I shove the correct book in front of him, but his eyes didn't leave me.

"You play Fire Emblem?"

"….Oh? What? Fire Emblem? Never heard of it."

"You just wrote a whole fanfiction on it."

"Oh, I write about many things, but none of them are that. Nope." I looked away with my eyes closed.

"There's no reason to be embarrassed about your interests. In fact…I've played a few games myself…"

I opened one eye, "Really? Then would you mind listing the names and roles of everyone in Awakening?"

Brandon sighed, "Can't I just show you?"

I turned to face him fully again, "Fine. My eyes are wide open." Okay, he's being a lot nicer than usual. I swear if he's lying about this whole thing…HUH? He isn't! And has the Awakening bundle…

"See?" He held up the Awakening 3DS and it was already running Awakening.

"What's Mr. Sport Scholarship doing with a strategy game anyway?" Strategy game or not, it doesn't exactly help out with football or karate.

"I was going to ask Ms. Genius the same thing." Oh, good! Mean Brandon is back! I almost had a heart attack.

I held my hands up in surrender, "Okay, you caught me. I'm a nerd at heart. I spend nights dreaming about what it would be like if this stuff was real and Math class daydreaming about it."

"But you've got the guts to write about it…." He muttered. And Mean Brandon is gone again.

Right! Back to my initial question, "Look. You never bomb a subject. Why did you fail English?"

He bit his lip and turned away, causing me to let out a snicker.

"Wait, you actually didn't do it on purpose?" My snicker turned into an actual laugh. "You dunce!"

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He snarked.

And he's back! I got up, forcing myself to frown, but utterly failing.

"See you later then, Gonzales." I smirked as I walked away. Though I will never know his true reasons for failing, it was quite amusing.

"Later, Erin…." He said lowly, causing me to think that I had misheard him.

* * *

"Hehehe!" I squealed as I stepped out of the front door of my house. Trick or treating time! NOT! There's this small event in my neighborhood every year staring on Halloween and lasting for a week.

You could say it's like Fanime or Comic Con. Everyone dresses up as their favorite anime or video game characters. Me? I'm going as my tactician! Well, I just had the coat…So I wore parts of my old batgirl costume, really tall matching boots and a beige leggings…So basically a mask and the shirt part of the old costume…I'm a weird person. I know. I would've gone as Lucina, but I didn't have the time to make the costume *cough* MATH *cough*.

"To the convention!" Rei yelled. Yeah it didn't really have a name. We just called it 'Awesome Halloween Anime Convention of Awesomeness.'

Rei was smart and actually got to work on her costume, which was the yellow alternate costume for female Robin in Sm4sh. Aka her tactician. She even got the skirt, pants and boots right. I'm so jelly right now…

Anyway, before I knew it, we were at the entrance of the convention center in NY. It was a short walk from home really.

"Oh! Look there's a Doctor Who booth!" Rei squealed happily and ran off.

I let out a sigh and headed in the direction of the Fire Emblem booth. I love Doctor Who, but I made it a tradition to _always _go to the FE booth first. When I reached it, I pulled off my mask, I'm not Gerome, guys, and looked at the wares. Ooo. Someone's selling a tome…And a Falchion replica. So tempting!

"Didn't expect to see you here, Fedeltà," a voice said sarcastically behind me.

I waved him off with my hand. "Who doesn't go to the Awesome Halloween Anime Convention of Awesomeness?"

"I mean at the Fire Emblem booth. And didn't you catch my sarcasm?"

"Didn't you catch _my _sarcasm?"

"Can't we have a decent conversation for once?"

"Nope." I said simply, picking up a replica of Lucina's mask. I'ma buy dis. I faced the teen selling it, "How much for this mask?"

"That would be $15.50, miss." TAKE MY MONEY!

I handed the boy the money and placed it in my beige medievalish looking knapsack before turning to Brandon.

"What do you want, Gonzales?" Now that I got a look at him, I noticed that he was cosplaying as a Fire Emblem: Awakening myrmidon with two 'swords' strapped to his belt. And a band similar to Say'ri's around his forehead with his brown hair covering it a bit. "Hm. I'd imagine you'd go as a fighter instead. To, ya know, show off."

"Says the one wearing the top of a batgirl costume with beige leggings and a tactician's coat."

Umm. "Touché?" Silence. "Okay…whatever. It's all Mrs. M's fault. I had no time to work on my Lucina costume due to her stupid math homework mountains."

I began to walk over to the nearby Batman booth. Oooh. 'Partners In Crime' rubber wristbands with bat symbols. Oh, it's a set of two? Better get these and give one to Rei later. Here's your money, ma'am. TAKE IT. Thank you!

Hm. I wonder if I got any Streetpass teams…Just gonna-

A certain idiot interrupted my musing. "Gods, is it so hard to have a simple conversation."

DUDE. Stop talking in circles. This is why we _don't _talk.

"Well, you are interrupting my convention routine!" Yes, I am _that_ person.

"Hm. Smarty-pants has a whole schedule planned out?"

"No, I just wander aimlessly until I find something interesting," I said sarcastically. "Who doesn't plan ahead for a convention."

Now it's his turn to say 'Touché'

"Touché."

* * *

I flopped down onto my bed, knapsack in hand with my convention survival kit inside. (3DS, iPhone, iPad Mini, fic notebook, some knives [for protection], a pack of pencils and the other stuff I bought.) Oh. That was a glorious day! ….Night! I got a bunch of crap that I'll never need and helped Nintendo print their money.

Rei got lost. Again. You'd think she'd know her way around there by now. I found her in the corner accompanied by a bunch of Doctor Who, Pokemon, Sword Art Online and Sailor Moon plushies. Pokemon…Can't wait for OR and AS. Or Smash for Wii U…Oh and Sailor Moon Crystal! Has that even come out yet in English? Math is messing up my internet time too.

Yawn. "Well, I'm tired…" I looked down at my costume. "Ah, bugger it." I leaned over and turned off my lamp before dozing off.

* * *

Gods, can someone turn out the lights? It's so freakishly bright here. I hope this is a dream. I want more sleepy time. My eyes opened to a field and a town in the distance. And I was just lying there. Like in Awakening. Humph. If this is a dream about Awakening, where the hell are the two royals and their stalker? Er…I mean retainer.

"Okay, Erin. You got this. You're going to enter the town and get info there, maybe kill some bandits and meet people. Maybe then you'll die in your dream and wake up. Yeah. Let's do this." I said to myself.

I slowly trudged across the field, in the direction of the town, clutching my knapsack protectively. From here I could see a clock tower, cobblestone streets and stone/wooden houses. I'm no genius when it comes to medieval architecture, but what I do know is that the only form of 'industry' here is magic and…I suppose fire.

After about twenty minutes, I located a random person….

"Excuse me, sir?" I said, trying to make my voice sound nice and not snarky. That's a challenge for me, "I'm a little lost, you see, and I was wondering what the name of this town was."

"Oh? You're a traveler, miss?" He seemed like a nice man. He was stout and his dirty blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail. On his person was an olive green tunic and canvas pants.

"Yes, of sorts," I nodded, confirming his inquiry.

"It doesn't really have a name, but the people in Ylisstol call it Southtown."

"Oh, so I presume that Ylisstol is north of here?"

"Yes, but be careful, there have been many bandit att–Ack !" The man was hit square in the back by thunder magic.

I barely had enough time to dodge some wind aimed at me and it hit the ground at my feet, spraying sand into my eyes.

"Well, that's just bloody perfect!" I yelled angrily, straining my ears for any sound of-

Oh, that's an axe, that's axe! Dodge, dodge. AND THAT'S MAGIC. OW. CAN'T SEE, CAN'T SEE! STUPID SAND!

….

….

….

Okay, looks like we're going all Lucario from Pokemon Movie 8 up in this bitch. I can do this…Maybe…Not.

Karate time…Let's go. I punched someone. Okay, I hear magic. Dodge. Punch. Dodge. Kick. I heard something break. Sidestep. FALCO PAWWCH. And something broke. OW. MORE MAGIC GAWDS. Ohh. Someone got killed. I heard the Wilhelm scream.

* * *

Chrom cut down his enemies easily, a fellow fighter by his side. These bandits were a joke, but still proved to be some challenge in large numbers. The knight, Frederick, held out his lance as he rode atop his valiant steed, Chrom's sister, Lissa, riding 'safely' behind him.

"Take the left, I'll handle the right." Chrom said to him. Frederick looked like he was about to protest, but instead nodded and rode off with Lissa.

Chrom was not the best when it came to strategy, but when people were in danger, saving them was more important than some strategy to the prince. As to why they were there in the thick of a fight? The exalt had sent the motley crew to Southtown because of a 'bandit' problem, but, in truth, they all knew that the 'bandits' were really either Plegian soldiers or conscripts.

Thankfully, the bandits hadn't set fire to the town. The villagers were, hopefully, safe enough in their houses. In total there were about four bandits left on this side, a small and simple number. Easily defeated and vanquished.

The blunette prince slashed through the third bandit and was faced with the final foe. He had a simple bronze sword on him. Nothing Falchion couldn't beat. It easily tore through his vest and killed him immediately.

* * *

"Chrom!" His sister yelled and ran over after Frederick had dispatched of the enemy troops. Those Plegians were fools to oppose such a great knight. "Do you have any injuries?"

"Nothing that I know of, Lissa," Chrom replied, ruffling Lissa's hair and earning a pout. "I assume you and Frederick are all right as well?"

Frederick rode up behind her. "Yes, milord. It seems that the bandits have been dealt with…but there's no doubt they will come back." He scanned the area silently. "We best be heading back to Ylisstol."

"All right, Frederick. Emm needs to hear about this." Chrom slowly began the walk, but stopped when Lissa wasn't following. "What's wrong, Lissa?"

Lissa's pout intensified. "Do we have to walk? Can't I ride on Frederick's horse?"

"The horse is tired, Lissa. Walking won't kill you," I started walking again

Lissa 'harrumphed' and crossed her arms, following anyway. "Fiiiiinnne."

* * *

Lissa skipped through the field in a sort of change of mood while Chrom observed, chuckling to himself. She didn't seem as cranky as before. Frederick looked a bit cheerful himself. Looks like the walking did them good. He supposed they all could use some fun every once in a while. Chrom shook his head to clear his thoughts and ran after Lissa. Frederick tried to stop them from fooling around, but to no avail, saying that it wasn't proper behavior for the prince and princess of Ylisse.

"But it is proper behavior for simple teenagers, Frederick!" Lissa chirped. "Must you _always_ be such a party pooper?"

Frederick sighed. "I do what I do because I care about your well being."

Chrom smiled at the knight. "And we care about yours, but a little fun outside never hurt anyone."

"Say that when you trip and injure yourself." The valiant knight said brashly.

"Okay, Mr. Serious." Lissa said playfully. "We'll see if that happens–!" As Frederick predicted, the princess tripped and fell.

"Lissa!" The blunette yelled worriedly, running over to her. "Are you all right?!"

"Lady Lissa!" Frederick called out, running behind.

"…Um…What…" Lissa muttered, before realizing what or who was on the ground. "Eek! C-Chrom! S-s-someone's collapsed here!"

He stopped next to her and helped her up, muttering as Lissa looked at him."Who are they….?"

"Th-that doesn't matter!" Lissa exclaimed. "Chrom, we have to do _something_!"

The man had white hair and was about average height. Chrom maybe had one or two inches on him. He was garbed in a beige shirt and white canvas pants. On his feet were brown boots. To top off his outfit was a long, dark purple coat with purple markings and a gold trim.

"What do you propose we do then, Lissa?" Chrom sighed, watching the pitiful man, wondering how one would end up in this situation.

"I…I dunno!" she exclaimed, leaning forward over the man's sleeping form. The man stirred awake, letting out a low moan. The royal siblings' attention immediately snapped back to him. His eyelids slowly fluttered open revealing dark brown orbs for eyes.

"I see you're awake now," Chrom said.

"Hey there!" Lissa said cheerfully.

""There are better places to take a nap than on the ground you know," The prince joked, holding out a gloved hand to the stranger. "Give me your hand." The man took it and he pulled him up. "You all right?"

"Y-yes…Thank you, Chrom." A look of confusion washed over Chrom's features; this stranger knew his name. Not many on the outskirts of Ylisse recognized him, as he was normally cooped up in the capital, conversing with annoying nobles and diplomats.

He raised a brow, eyeing the stranger's clothing once again. "Ah, then you know who I am?"

The stranger blinked, uncertain of how he came across that knowledge, Chrom assumed. He hesitantly replied, despite how the odds began to stack against him. "No, actually, I... It's strange... Your name, it just...came to me..."

"...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name?" The colors of the clothes and designs were familiar to Chrom, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint where he had seen them before. Maybe it was Feroxi garb? No, it was not made of wolf fur and bear hide. "What brings you here?"

"My name is... It's... Hmm?"

Chrom stared at the newcomer uncertainly. How could this man not know his own name, yet he knew Chrom's? The prince was baffled by the idea. Was this man a brainwashed spy? No. He seemed too innocent. Seemed being the key word there.

"...You don't know your own name?"

The man looked around, taking in the other two present. "I'm not sure if... I'm sorry, but where am I, exactly?" How could he not know where he was?

Lissa jumped up and said, "Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!"

Frederick glared at the newcomer. "It's called a load of pegasus dung. We're to believe you remember milord's name, but not your own?"

"B-but it's the truth!" He said, trying his best to persuade the royals and their knight that he could be trusted. It's not every day you find out you have amnesia, after all.

Chrom nodded. "...What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave him here, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

"Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution.'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock," Frederick continued to glare dangerously at the man. Now that Chrom looked again, he realized just where Frederick had gotten his assumption from. He was dressed in a Plegian garb, the design of the coat should have made his ethnicity obvious, and his features were similar to those of the bandits that had raided Southtown nary two hours ago, though one could only tell if they looked closely.

"Right then—we'll take him back to Southtown and sort this out there." Chrom started to walk in the direction of the town followed by Lissa and Frederick.

"Heh! Finally, a chance to rest!" Lissa cheered.

"You _do_ realize that we have to walk all the way back there, right?" The prince smirked and ruffled his sister's hair again, causing the headdress to slip to the side.

"H-hey! Don't do that!" She straightened her headdress. After processing the rest of that information, she ceased cheering and began to sulk. "…Oh…"

"Wait just one moment. Do I have a say in this?" The man protested.

Chrom stopped, having honestly forgotten about their new companion, and turned to him. "Peace, friend—I promise we'll hear all you have to say back in town. Now come."

The man sighed and began to follow them back.

* * *

Wait. Who _exactly_ killed the guy? I tried to open my eyes, but it was still no use. The sand was still there! GREAT! I turned on my heel and lashed out when I heard movement. Whoever that person was, is now on the ground. My fist level with their face. I was about to swing at them when a huge mass pushed me out of the vicinity.

"CAN THIS DAY GET ANY WORSE?!" I yelled as I landed painfully on my rump. Pain equals real…I'm happy and sad right now…Wait, is it forever? Do I get a chance to go back? Will I be stuck here?

Oh, great. Singing metal. Probably aimed at my face grrrrrrr-eat!

"Wait, Frederick!" Oh. My. GODS! I was about to be skewered by Mr. Frederick the Wussy? I mean Wary! Wait, person speak again! I don't know who you are! "Can't you see that she's injured and blinded?"

I heard the sound of the silver lance withdrawing and leaned forward, trying to not rub at my eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, "And what's going on? I can't exactly see right now…Blasted mage fired some wind at me and kicked up some sand or dirt or whatever into my eyes."

"Hm. Well…" Oh? Male Robin's voice one? Okay… "I'd say to lean over the canal, but I doubt it's very clean with all the dirt and smoke in the area…"

No shit, Sherlock!

I feel like I've lost power while playing Five Nights at Frederick's…Heh. I mean Freddy's. I don't know what will happen and I feel like someone is about to murder me. Oh joy!

"…Where's my bag? I think I might have a flask in there." I reached around on the ground nearby and located it. I really did have a flask in there. I don't like plastic and big metal bottles are too clangy… "Aha!" I pulled out the flask and poured a bit of the day old water on my face.

My eyes slowly opened and I made an 'oh crap' face. Just as I thought. Chrom and his company.

"Here, give me your hand." Chrom held out his hand.

I hesitated to take it. When I did, I was pulled forward. Wow, THAT'S too close for comfort. I quickly stepped back.

"Thank you…" I muttered meekly. "I'm assuming I was about to punch you? Sorry about that, sir. May I ask your names? I already know the one who tried to skewer my face is Frederick."

"Oh, right. I'm Chrom. This Robin and my sister Lissa."

…

…

…

…

I pretended to be genuinely surprised. "Wait. Wait! WAIT. That name rings a bell…" I made my eyes drift to Chrom's brand before moving them back to the whole group. "Almost punched the freaking prince of Ylisse..." I continued to mutter, "Great job, Erin…!" Facepalm.

"But you didn't. Erin, was it? You seem capable of defending yourself, would you like to join the Shepherds?" Chrom…You sure are jumping to a conclusion there.

"Er…" I looked at the group. Wow. Why are all the men eye candy in this place? Eh…I suppose you're cute too, Lissa. I just don't swing that way. "Moving things fast, are we? The Shepherds? Your private militia? Are you sure?"

"We've brigands and unruly neighbors. The more on our side the better. The more the merrier!" Lissa said, stealing a line that I knew was Chrom's...Hey, it's getting more realistic by the second, so I guess that's good! No script! Woo!

"Why not?" You know, this may actually be fun. I may die, but who cares. Life goes on here, people move on... "I suppose that's something better than writing all day…Sure. Even better that I can put my skills, if you will, to use."

"Milord, is this wise?" Frederick asked. "Two in one day? We could be endangering our flock by letting possible wolves in disguise in."

Chrom sighed. "Frederick, enough, please. I trust them both. They defended citizens of Ylisse. My heart says that's enough."

Frederick narrowed his eyes. "And your mind, milord? Will you not head its counsel as well?"

Robin sighed as if they were all going through the same lecture for the umpteenth time. Which I imagined they were. Okay, I'll try to lighten the mood…

"Hey, if I do anything to prove you right, Frederick, you have my permission to run me through. A'ight?" I said, a shit-eating grin on my face. C'mon. C'mon. Some emotion? Please? I know my smile is terrifying and not very good looking, but...Thank you, Lissa! The princess nodded, pigtails bobbing. Robin bobbed his head as well.

_...The red, red robin, goes bob, bob, bobin' along...Dammit, Robin. Why couldn't you be red? That'd totally be your theme song!_

"Milords!" A villager ran up, staying faithful to the game. "Please, stay the night at the inn. It's the least we do for what you've done for us!" Now, I'm pretty sure you all know what happens here, so why explain it all in full detail? That would be a bit wasteful of time, after all. So in short: Frederick kindly declined, Lissa complained and we were off into the night…

* * *

**Okay! That has been bugging me a lot too as I've been working on other stuff. And daydreaming in math class...I hate that place! I pour what I feel that day into my writing. So this chappy was brought to you bye...MATH RAGE.**

**Also! Who will Robin's waifu be? (Please don't begin a waifu war. We all know what happened last time!) The contestants are;**

**Maribelle (For the lawls), Cordelia, Sumia, Tharja, Olivia or Lucina! And Emmeryn...No, actually not Emmeryn...*Sniff* I'm sorry...**

**(Edit: 3/18/15 Added a bit more detail where it was needed. The vote's already over, so there really is no point. The winner is revealed later on, and I do not wish to spoil it for you. I changed Chrom's PoV to third person, since in my opinion, that would be a lot better than me trying to get his thoughts out, as I haven't written him in a good while.)**

**If you can, please leave a review, and follow and fav if you haven't already!~ Thanks!~**


	2. Chapter 2: And Now Come the Zombies!

**So far the points for the waifu war is/are/whatever….Maribelle: 2 and Sumia: 1. I give you all until…the ingame chapter six to vote!**

**Gods…I have a **_**really**_** bad Chrom. I need to work on that. I haven't gone into his head for a looooong ass time. So I'm a bit rusty.**

**Personally, I was leaning towards Maribelle (Damn. She is one awesome unit and person…), Lucina (Heh. If you couldn't tell. For the shenanigans!), Sumia (Best Mag based peggy knight! For me anyway.) and Cordelia. We all need to give Maribelle and Cordelia a little love, eh? If Lucina is voted upon. Oh ho! I will very much enjoy writing Chrom's thoughts on the matter! **

**A few people were confused about the time jumps and Robin's meeting. I was going by the comics because technically, that's a part of the story most people don't know. At the beginning of Awakening before they meet Robin; Chrom, Lissa and Frederick are sent south to Ylisstol by the exalt to see to the borders and prevent bandit attacks. Then they leave, run into Robin and head back to town.**

**I…sort of want to do some Outrealm shenanigans too…Heh. Chromance. Heh. Nope. Brain back out of that territory! Thank you. Just maybe a crossover…with another story.**

**Now let us commence…with the chapter thingy…**

**Chapter 2: And Now Come the Zombies!**

Bear meat. Is. So. Good.

I tried to eat quietly. We all know that awkwardness when it's quiet and you can hear yourself–Okay no one probably gets where I'm going with this…Anyway, I was _trying_, but it sounded more like. _Om-nom-nom-nom._ _Nom. Nom._

Well, it was nothing compared to Robin…I'm normally the person who is skeeved out by people chewing with their mouth open–

Right. Where am I now?

Around a campfire with Freddy, Lissa, Chrom and Robin.

What are we doing?

Eating.

It's that chapter.

Yay.

I'm surprised honestly. No one has questioned the Batgirl costume. I mean seriously. It has a hard texture obviously not found here and everyone is ignoring it. And Robin hasn't asked about the coat. I suppose they aren't exactly alike. The color I got had more of a blue tint to it.

"Isn't the bear meat great, Lissa?" Chrom asked, interrupting my musings, "It's been so long…Delicious."

"Delicious?" Lissa looked down at hers in disgust, "It smells like old boots! How can you people eat this?!" She looked over at Robin and me devouring ours. Well, Robin was. I have some table manners! "You're meddling with the food chain!"

Great, now I have to bring science into my reprieve from life, "Lissa. Actually, we aren't messing with the food chain. The same process happens except in a different way. Instead of the bear dying, we are simply slowing down the process of decomposition."

Lissa stared at me, even Robin stopped eating…Okay, "Nuts to that, Genius! I ain't touchin' that bear!"

…Wow. Okay that was out of character. She's spent too much time around Vaike–Wait….

Genius? Really? I'm not! It's just a nickname that stuck with me since second grade when I was obsessed with dinosaurs! I was the 'expert.' I don't remember any of that stuff.

Lissa instantly covered her mouth. Er? What?

"I mean…Er…" She turned to Fredders, "I don't see you eating anything, Freddy!"

Frederick tried not to smile, "The more you all have the better. Besides, I had a large lunch…Yes, quite!"

Lissa snorted, "Suuuure you did. Mhm. Yep. Definitely!"

"Frederick," I gasped, sarcastically, "I didn't expect a knight of your caliber to lie."

Robin tried to suppress a grin, "Yes, that is an odd occurrence, is it not?"

Frederick narrowed his eyes warily, "Hmph. I'd be careful what you say…" He muttered before turning away.

_Geez! What a buzzkill!_

Chrom chuckled, "Don't mind Frederick. He only smiles when he's about to bring down the axe…and when he puts the new recruits through his Fanatical Fitness Hours…"

I felt the color drain from my face as did Robin's, "W-Wait…" I stuttered, "F-Fanatical Fitness Hours?! What's exactly in these?"

He looked away in thought, "No one ever remembers. We've all fainted at one point after the harsh training and have completely forgotten the routine…I just remember it being painful."

Robin raised a brow, "Is it really that bad? Or is it the sight–You know what? Never mind."

_Was Robin about to burn Frederick? Heh. Probably somewhere along the lines of 'Is it really that bad? Or is it the sight of your face?'_

Lissa nodded slowly, "I've even had to endure it for a while when I lost a bet with Chrom! I'm a healer not a warrior, but still Frederick put me through that hell!"

I shook my head in disagreement, "Nothing can be as bad as being stuck in front of MLP for a full hour and escaping with your sanity! Or even Frozen! Oh, gods!" I leaned back onto the ground, "That was torment!"

_Wait…Crap…_

Lissa titled her head, "What's 'MLP' and 'Frozen?'"

"Er…Just two books I was forced to read and write a review about a few years back. It was this whole project because I lost a bet with my bestie…."

"Bestie?"

"Best friend…" I mumbled sadly.

_Where are you guys now? Do you think of me? Is this just some messed up coma? Will I see you again….?_

"Oh…I'm sorry I brought it up. I didn't realize…" Lissa trailed off.

"It's all right, Lissa. I've simply just lost her. Which is pretty easy since she's so small…She practically blends into the ground with that dirty blonde hair and pale skin…"

Robin choked on his meat, "You can _lose_ a _person_?"

"Uh…Eh…Yes? I'm not the best with little people. I _always_ lose them…"

"A _person!_"

"Is that a problem?" What are you trying to get at Robin?

"Of–Fine. Whatever. Good night!" Robin leaned back and leaned on his side, using his arm as a pillow.

"Nighty night! Don't let the Dark Knight find you and murder you in your sleep!" I said and received some pretty odd looks again, "Just a thing. Nothing to worry about. Trust me, I haven't gone crazy. _Yet_."

Hm…I looked up at the sky in the clearing. I never liked sleeping on the ground. I was always _that_ person at a sleepover who was afraid of that very thing. I felt like monsters would get me and…yeah. And there are monsters and spewy lava in a few hours! So tree it is!

I stood and stretched before making my way to the nearest tree and started climbing. I didn't have a fear of heights, thank goodness or I'd be out of luck.

Lissa turned to where I was and was about to say something when she realized I wasn't there, "Hey? Where'd you go?"

"Why don't you look up? If you want to know that is…" I smiled down at her before leaning against the trunk on the outstretched limb, "'Night!"

I wasn't really going to sleep quite yet. I just wanted some alone time to check out my stuff. I hope my phone was all right! I used up a few months allowance on that! My 3DS and iPad too…Well, the latter was a gift.

Anyway, I pulled the knapsack off my back and began to dig through it. Hah! Yes! Everything is in here…That pack of shades I bought. There's five of them! Heh…I continued to dig through the bag until my hands came to a papery thing. I slowly pulled it out, trying not to rip it.

It was that origami dragon my friend made me…What was that doing in there. Lucas…Did someone leave it in here as a joke?! Are you trying to make me cry?!

In short, Lucas is a friend of mine that moved to Canada when we were really young. I don't know where exactly, but it was somewhere near the border with New York, my home. Toronto or Ottawa, maybe?

I let out a sigh and pulled out my phone and ear buds. I looked at the screen and tried to block out the light the best I could.

_Booooring….Hm How about this playlist? No…I'll make a new one yeah…_

After a few minutes I had the new one ready and pressed play.

Homeward Bound by Simon and Garfunkel

Ring a Bell by Bonnie Pink

And the Fire Emblem: Awakening opening theme because why the hell not?

Makes sense and doesn't. I like not making sense…

So, I'm a freaking self-insert now, right? Grrreat. I swear if my role in this becomes a Mary Sue…I will just-Pchhhheeeewwwww-myself. Insert weird hand motions.

Right, right. I should refresh my memory with this Awakening shenanigan! Okay, pull out the aqua blue 3DS and load ze file!

WHAT.

NO!

This can't be happening!

Everything is blank! No support log! Nada, nothing!

Keep calm, Erin. Everything will be fine…Just start a new file and remain calm. Keep calm and play Awakening.

…

…

Huh? What's this character selection screen? No customization?

The small sop screen said 'Please place your finger on the touchscreen.' Pokemon Mystery Dungeon flashbacks…

"Okay," I muttered, "Whatever you say, 3DS," placing my finger on the touch screen.

Seriously? What is the whole point of doing that? I just want to play my Fire Emblem! Can't a girl get what she wants for once?! And don't think pulling these shenanigans will make me like you again 3DS! You deleted all my five hundred hours of hard work. Yup. Fire Emblem has been throwing my life away since February 4th, 2013. You should see my Pokemon Black…782:10 followed by Platinum with 615…*cough* OFF TOPIC.

The screen changed and showed a Fire-Emblem-ified, movie animated (Like in the burning forest cut scene "movie". Cataclysm.) version of me. Hm. Now that I think about it. This whole world looks like that. It just has that ethereal feel to it. On the touch screen was an anime art drawing of myself. Wow. Magical beings of this world…I am a gods damned self-insert. This is, most likely, a _bad fanfic_.

It changed again, showing an opening movie. Not the normal Fated Clash one, but me fighting those meanies in Southtown. I admit. I looked pretty awesome. Oh…And that's when I almost punched Chrom in the face. So the mass of steel that hit into me _was_ Frederick? Just as I thought.

Oh! And now we're eating the bear meat. Now I'm in a tree–

Who's this?!

"_The real question is: 'Why are you here?"_

_You can read minds?_

"_When you placed your finger on the 3DS it scanned your magical energy and linked your mind to the device."_ Okay…That is a female voice.

_I think I'm gonna call you Tomina…Like Tom, but a girl…_

"_*Sigh* I wish you wouldn't talk about that insolent fool."_

_WAIT. WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!_

"…_Though I hate to admit it…I'm your Tom…." _She appeared on the screen. Long red hair, blue eyes and a red trickster outfit.

_At least I was placed in a field instead of an ocean…so…YOU RIPPED ME FROM MY LIFE AND BROUGHT ME HERE?!_

"_Your anger is understandable. But this world needed help. And don't lie. You love it here…You needed an escape from Math for your sanity…"_

…_Touché. But that doesn't change the fact that YOU RIPPED ME FROM MY LIFE AND BROUGHT ME HERE!_

"_Ah, ah, ah! They've grown restless. Now, may I begin my explanation or will you keep shouting and hinder my progress?"_

…

"_That's a good girl," _She turned and held up a list, _"Okay, intro done…Oh. Right!" _She turned back to me and continued her explanation, which I interrupted.

_Are you an Anna?_

"_How is that relevant?!"_

_Trickster, red hair and a total bitch. Need I go on?_

Well, Anna isn't really a bitch, but I'm somewhere in between punching someone and squealing like a fangirl…

"_No. I am not an Anna," _She puffed her cheeks angrily, _"Now do you want to know why you are hear or not?!"_

_Can I make a guess?_

"…"

_This city needs a hero. Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na... BATMAN!_

"…"

_Oh…Wait, that's Gerome's job. And Inigo's…He'd be the Boy Wonder…Robin._

"_Anyway! You've been sent to Ylisse, blah, blah, blah. Modifications have been made to you. Your physical strength has been slightly boosted along with your speed and senses. The downside is you've lost some…minor qualities. Well, however you look at them. For one, your stamina has been slightly decreased along with your book smarts…Not by much since you aren't wandering around like a clueless buffoon…Thinking on your feet will be harder now, though,"_

_This will prove to be a challenge, as I said, you'll have to get used to this and work with it. A trade of skills. You might be a bit clumsier now as well. All new…travelers are this way at first…."_

_Now that you mention it…I do feel a bit different…Anything else?_

"_Maybe a bit more…anxiety. It's a bit of a…side effect," _She looked back at the list, _"Oh and heads up."_

"What?" The screen turned blank as I was pitched out of the tree, with my belongings, from a tremor below, "OW!"

Robin and Frederick hadn't woken up yet so I quickly stuffed my stuff into my knapsack before jostling the two awake. Frederick immediately shot up, his lance level with my face again, while Robin leaned forward slowly before jumping to his feet.

"About time you both woke up," I said, "How can you sleep through an earthquake?"

Frederick narrowed his eyes as his horse pulled at the tree it was tied to behind him, "More importantly where is milord and milady?" He moved the lance one inch closer. I froze on the spot fearfully.

Why am I freezing up? Is this the anxiety she was talking about? Did she mean a full on anxiety disorder?!

Frederick lowered the lance and raised a brow, "Is there something the matter?"

Robin sighed before saying sarcastically, "Maybe it's the lance that you have ready to skewer her face…?"

I shook my head slowly, "J-just a bit of anxiety I guess…Er…I th-think they went that w-way…"

Frederick nodded before running to his horse and saddling up, "I'm going to ride ahead to find them. Follow up." He then charged into the burning forest.

Well, go on ahead! Leave us in the dust Mr. Wary! Go chase after the loves of your life now!

Robin stood in a 'hold up!' position before he dropped his arms and turned to me, looking a bit worried. I admit it was cute. Especially with the furrowed brow, "Are you going to be all right?"

"I honestly don't know, Robin," I grabbed his hand and began to speed walk in the direction Frederick went, "But what matters now is that we get to Chrom and Lissa ASAP."

"So…before you said that you almost punched the prince of Ylisse…What did you mean by that?" Robin asked.

"For a tactician, you can be pretty thick. I'd tell you, but it's better to wait for the story to unfold rather than jump to the ending, yeah?"

"Fine, have it your way…" Robin muttered.

Was he not paying attention before or is he really an idiot? I can't tolerate incompetence, so Vaike might be a bit worse for wear after I meet him.

* * *

Chrom and Lissa were standing in the clearing near a fleeing figure when Frederick, Robin and I found. Lissa was trembling and Chrom was trying to comfort her.

"Milord! Milady!" Frederick called from atop his horse, gaining the attention of the two royals.

"By the gods! Always sleeping through the excitement it seems," I said sadly, "I was hoping to do something exhilarating for once in my life…"

"Never mind that!" Robin yelled, most likely already thinking up a strategy, "The forest is burning around us and there's these…_things!_"

Lissa stopped trembling and looked up, "Y-yeah! One of them almost got me and then this masked guy came in and saved me!"

Chrom nodded, "Thanks to the man, Lissa's safe," He turned to the burning forest, "We best get rid of these things before they reach Ylisstol."

"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked, practicing my moves, "Let's put these invaders in their place!"

Frederick sighed, "Are you sure that you're up for this? That way you froze up earlier in fear…and to add fuel to the fire, you aren't armed. How do you expect to hold out in a fight?"

"You underestimate me, don't you?" I questioned. I honestly agree with him, but I want to fight! Is that a problem? I've sort of always loved violence, "I may be unarmed, but I can still stop a few blows."

Chrom turned to Frederick before turning to me, "She'll hold her own, Frederick. Let's just hope she isn't lying."

"Really?!" I felt my eyes sparkle, "Thanks!"

Robin was standing a few feet away from us with his hand cupping his chin in thought while we conversed. After what seemed like forever he turned to us with an 'Ah hah!' and began explaining his strategy.

"So, those things on the east seem to be wielding axes. Chrom, I would like you and Erin to head over there. I'll accompany you as well. Frederick and Lissa will head to the west and handle the sword wielding things." Robin explained, "Any questions?"

I shook my head, "Just don't do anything stupid." I saluted before running off in the correct direction, Robin and Chrom close behind.

Robin yelled from behind me as we neared the Risen, "Erin, left. Chrom, right. I got the middle!" He drew a sword and jumped at an axe wielding Risen.

I neared an opponent of my own fairly quickly and planted a fist in its jaw. The monster retaliated by aiming a slash at my torso. I narrowly dodged and received a long gash on my left arm which caused a cry of pain to escape my lips. You see I don't like seeing my blood. Other's blood is fine, it's just my own that freaks me out. So I froze. In panic. Grrrreaaat!

"Hyragghhhh!" Oh! Thanks, Princey!

I fell back onto my rump. My arm really hurts. Ow, ow, ow, ow! I thought I was good at this! I suppose I'm only evenly matched when my opponent doesn't wield a weapon.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"DO I LOOK ALL RIGHT?!" I cradled my arm, "Gods! I'm a fucking idiot! I thought I could run around and kick ass, but it looks like I'm just another fucking damsel in fucking distress,"

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea…Let's just get you to Lissa…" He held out his hand for support.

"No, I won't. I'm here for a reason," I said as a snap decision as I leaned up onto my feet on my own, "Just need to get use to this."

Chrom sighed, "You dance to one tune, but sing another. There's no need to–"

"Don't waste your time on me. Just another unimportant person at the moment…We've got a fight to continue. Get your ass in gear."

I simply walked to the closest Risen and kick him in his place for effect. Ha! The Risen even reached down to…Hah! Chrom then pierced the monster's gut before we made our way back to the group and found 'Marth,' Virion and Sully.

"Captain Chrom!" Sully yelled, her foot currently planted in Virion's face, "Are you all right? I rode out as soon as I caught wind that you had been delayed or worse. I would've been here sooner, but Ruffles here held me up."

Chrom shook his head in amusement, "No need to bash yourself, Sully. We were in good hands. Thanks to Robin. Where's Robin anyway?"

"Somewhere back in the fray probably," I took this moment to reach out my hand, "So you're Sully? I'm Erin. Nice to meet you."

Sully gave me a shit-eating grin, "Well met, Erin," She eyed the gash on my arm, "You should really get that arm of yours looked at."

I looked down at my arm. How could I have forgotten?

"Eh…Yeah…" I walked over to Lissa, who was conversing with 'Marth.' Ohhh! Time to confuzzle 'Marth!'

I looked over at 'him,' "Oh! There you are! Those beasts…I'll never get used to them…Hey? What's with the mask?"

'He' looked at me…Ya know what? Screw it! She looked at me, her frown wavering, "You…You're alive!"

"Eh…Why wouldn't I be? But seriously, kid. What's with the mask and the Hero-King Marth get up? And who are you? Impersonating heroes is a pretty ballsy thing to do."

Lucina's frown reformed and she looked away with an intake of breath. Heh. I'm mean. I know!

"So, Lissa…Could you maybe use that wonderful staff of yours on my arm, please?"

The princess turned from Lucina and looked at my arm, "Oh, gods! That's a big gash!" She held up her staff and murmured an incantation.

My breath caught in my throat as pain erupted from my wound as the skin stitched itself back together. After a few seconds the pain subsided and the tingling needles sensation was replaced with a soothing one.

"Thanks, Lis," I said as I gasped for air.

"No problem!"

Chrom approached us from behind with Robin and immediately turned to Lucina, "That was quite the entrance before, stranger. What's your name?"

Lucina looked at Chrom warily before saying…

"You may call me Marth."

* * *

**And scene! I actually wasn't expecting to get this out until next week since I was working on Fated Awakening...but here it is! So! As I said up there the voting will commence until the ingame Chapter 6: Foreseer! Now! I need a few pairings for a few other OCS! And two more OCs! So if you have one that would like to make an appearance, shoot a message my way! That format will be below!**

**OC Slots taken- All**

**Rei - Best friend - Has hubby. Cheerful, fiery, loves making references no one gets and loves plushies! Has kid!**

**Lucas - Mentioned - Has waifu. Straightforward, short tempered and the resident Scot. Has kid!**

**Miyaji - Will make an appearance! - Has hubby. Short tempered, childish, manakete and resident Frenchie. Has kid!**

**Brandon - Has Waifu. Has kid. We know him already. ****  
**

**Tom - Has Waifu. Has kid. **

**Dylan - Has Waifu. Has kid. **


	3. Chapter 3: Messed Up Peeps

**Onward to the next chapter! OC acceptance is closed! This time there will be a bit of home world action with the newest member****s**** of the gang! And then the expected will happen!**

**The waifus that have been taken out of the vote are: Tharja and Cordelia. They have been shipped off already. So I apologize if I've disappointed anyone. I didn't choose, they were OC requests.**

**Also! I forgot to add Brandon to the list of OC's. How dumb of me! So I was really only accepting one, but then felt like adding more...**

**(Edit 10/7/14 I would like to thank Tumer for his help with this chapter and future ones! Also everyone who submitted an OC! You contributed greatly! Thanks a million!)**

**Brandon's PoV**

It was yesterday that all this happened. It made me think of few things. One, some trashy fanfic based off of Sword Art Online…Another, how one's life could be ruined so easily.

Yesterday, on my way back home from the Halloween anime convention, I walked past where Fedelta's house was. I expected to just see the same old neat garden and trimmed lawn against the big white house. Not an ambulance and Rei Feuer on the steps with Fedelta's parents, sobbing. Naturally, I wanted to find out what was wrong, but I knew it wasn't my place to bother them during their tragedy.

The next Monday in school our homeroom teacher told us about the tragedy. She was in a coma. For me, that didn't add up. Nothing seemed off about her at the convention Friday night. If anything she seemed even happier than usual, her permanent scowl missing and replaced by a real grin.

But enough on her…I thought this was insane…Until I was met with a similar fate…

* * *

_Ugh…Where the hell am I?_

I leaned off the ground and found myself in a forest. But that wasn't the strange part. I do tend to wander into forests a lot. I guess I just love nature too much. The strange part was who was on the ground next to me.

Curled up around a Mew plushy with a bit of drool on the corner of her mouth was none other than Rei Feuer. There was one word to describe this situation: cute. Then there was another: deadly. The girl may look cute and cuddly on the outside, but they called her Rei for a reason. In short, don't mess with the little flame, you'll just make it bigger. And more dangerous.

So what are the bloody odds of waking up in a forest with the most deadly girl at school? Almost none. That's why it happened to me. Because I'm unlucky.

Rei moaned in her sleep and yawned before turning over on the hard ground. She then reached for a pillow apparently, to cover her ears since she sensed that her alarm clock was going to go off. When she didn't find the pillow, she leaned forward and yawned again.

"I swear…If you took my pillow again Mr. Cuddlebugs…I'll…" She blinked a few times before turning to me and leaping backwards, trying to cover herself. Thankfully, neither of us were wearing our pajamas, "What the hell?! Gonzales! I swear, you won't see the next day if you dragged me out here to do what I think you want to do!"

I immediately leaped back and held my hands up in surrender, "N-No! I wasn't thinking about any of that Rei! I just woke up out here too, I swear! Do you even recall me abducting you?"

"…No…"

"That's because I didn't!"

"…F-fine, just where the hell are we?" Rei stood up and wiped her face.

"I was going to ask you the same," I stood as well, stretching, "From what I can see, we're in a forest."

"No shit, Sherlock! Do I need to call Watson?"

I sighed, "Look, can you hold in the snarks for five minutes?!" She closed her mouth, "Let's just find a way out of this forest," I began to walk in a random direction, but stopped when Rei wasn't following, "Rei?"

"Something's burning," She muttered, "Oh, great…" She angled her head in another direction, "I hear moaning too…"

"…Imagine if it were Risen?" I laughed as I began to walk away from the burning smell, Rei following this time.

"What's with that random assertion? Is someone a Fire Emblem fanboy?"

"Maybe I should be asking you the same? How is it that we're both here? In a burning forest with possible Risen running amuck?"

"I dunno," She searched through a knapsack that I hadn't noticed before, "Hah! My 3DS! And phone! Bless the lord!" She immediately flipped the screen open and began playing, from what I could see, Awakening.

"Hey! No fair!" I protested.

"Too bad, Gonzy!" She smirked evilly, "Why don't you check that bag on your back. There must be something!"

She was right. In the bag was my own 3DS and phone. Plot convenience much?

"That's a relief…." I opened my own 3DS and we both sank into zombie mode. That was until we loaded our files…

"What the frick?!" Rei yelled, "My support log! And my four hundred hours!"

"My waifus!" Well, I only had one waifu. I had this inability to pair myself with anyone else but-Wait!

Keep calm, Brandon. You'll pull through this.

"Four hundred hours of my life…Gone!" She sulked and pouted as she reluctantly started a new file.

"I guess new file it is…" I muttered, doing the same.

"Hey what's this? It wants me to scan my finger."

"Pokemon Mystery Dungeon flashbacks?"

"Yeah definitely…"

A female voice spoke up from the 3DS, _"Hmph…Took you long enough to crack open those 3DS's."_

Rei and I jumped in our spots and looked down as the red-haired woman spoke simultaneously from both of our 3DS's.

"Who the hell are you?!" Rei yelled.

"_Your deliverer…"_

"Deliverer?" I asked, "You brought us to wherever this is?!"

"…_I already had this conversation with your friend. Please don't make me repeat myself. You're in Ylisse deal with it."_

Rei's face changed from cute to 'I'm gonna kill you through that screen!' "DEAL WITH IT?! HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO DEAL WITH IT?! DO YOU THINK SOME FANTASY WILL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER ABOUT LOSING MY BEST FRIEND?!"

I placed a hand on her shoulder, "Rei. Cool it," I admit, this is pretty messed up, but something the woman said…. "You had this conversation with our friend? Who?"

"_Um…The tall brunette in the batgirl/tactician get up…What was her name…Erin! Yes, Erin Fedelta!"_

"ERIN?!" Rei and I yelled in unison. Rei had tears at the corners of her eyes as she yelled at the woman again.

"Where is she?! What have you done with her?!"

"_Gods…Can I have some patience from any of you travelers?"_ She sighed and switched on some video in the background, _"She's safe and heading to Ylisstol with the Shepherds. You better hurry if you want to meet up with her before she leaves for Ferox…"_

Rei immediately ran forward, "What are you waiting for, Gonzy? Let's go!"

"_Other way! Towards the burning forest!"_

"Right!" She turned and began to drag me in a different direction.

"_NOT THAT WAY EITHER!"_ She facepalmed, _"Who am I? Gina GPS?!_" Silence, _"FINE! Follow the map on the screen please!"_

I let out an agitated sigh of my own before muttering, "This is going to be a long walk…"

* * *

**? PoV**

I didn't know what to think…Lucy and the others, including me, had just run through the portal as Mother safeguarded our escape. We had begged her to come with us, but she refused.

"_I watched my friends and family die around me. I will accept my fate. I'm sorry, but I must hold onto that hope that there is a better life within death…"_

But still we tried to drag her to the past with us. She was among the last survivors of the first generation of Shepherds, the ones led by the prince himself. Robin, our master tactician, had vanished prior to our escape, though there have been rumors of people seeing the mastermind.

My 'Aunt' Rei had passed away a few years earlier, adding to the grief that filled the Shepherds, especially Mother's. Soon after 'Uncle' Dylan had joined her, his carefree mood and insistence on raising morale, dying along with him. Then there was 'Uncle' Brandon, 'Aunt' Miyaji, 'Uncle' Lucas and lastly 'Uncle' Tom...

There were many more of course...including my father. He was missed. In fact, he was our pinnacle of courage. All I had left of him was some rapier and a world of troubles… Me. Asuna.

And now that I'm through this portal, I'm alone. Separated from my family and friends. But that was a given, we had each said our goodbyes and set out on different paths. To safeguard the Gemstones and Emblem. The items lost in our future past when we performed the partial Awakening. They were now in that Grima's hands. Or the same Grima. Or that time's Grima…Great Scott!

* * *

**? PoV**

Biejta. That was my name. Given to me by my heroic father and lovely Mother. An odd one, I know. But Mother was a bit of an oddball. Especially if she could make a profit from being just that. I didn't really object to Mother's greedy nature, considering I know what goes through the mind of every Anna…I was one after all.

Oh? Wondering why my name isn't Anna? Yeah…I feel like they picked my name out of some hat. At least my sister had 'Anna' in her name.

Though it would be bending the rules we set down as we made our jump to the past, I found my way to the northeastern coast of Regna Ferox. I never had been one for following rules, really. I had heard that Mother used to do business there. 'Course, there's also hundreds of her identical sisters, dating back to the time of the Hero-King Marth and the Hero of Shadow, Kris.

I've always found a sense of calm being near the ocean…and gold. I didn't like it, but it was a hereditary thing. Can't be helped. Thankfully, I have my faithful mount, Zlota, to keep me in line. That horse…Well, Father suggested the name. He said it meant something in another language and that I would be annoyed if I found out the meaning…Must have something to do with gold. Yup. Father and his shenanigans.

* * *

**Rei's PoV**

_GONZY! JEEEZUZ! Can you walk any slower?! _

Stupid Gonzales and his slow walking. It's like trying to drag my sister out of some mall. And trying to catch up to her as she speed shops and walks and breathes and walks…

"Gonzy! Hurry it up!" I snapped at him.

"B-but my legs are tired….I feel like they're gonna fall off…" Gonzy muttered, slouching and dropping even farther back.

"Move it! Or your legs won't be the only things that'll fall off!"

"No…" He mumbled before collapsing behind me.

_REALLY?! _

"GET UP, GONZALES!" He didn't move, even when I 'nudged' him with my foot.

I heard a familiar voice from somewhere behind me, "Young couple in the forest, maybe?" The voice asked.

"Not the craziest suggestion…Although, I think they would have some decency to do stuff like that in the privacy of their own home…" I heard a familiar…baritone voice.

"Oh, Chrom. You haven't gotten out much, have you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, Princey…" She hummed before tripping through the undergrowth and landing a few feet away from us.

_WAIT. CHROM?! PRINCEY?! SHEPHERDS?! ERIN!_

A few chuckles were heard from the other side of the trees. So there was a path! Stupid, Gina GPS!

Another baritone voice chuckled and stepped out of the forest…He had white hair…ROBIN. "Are you all right?" He turned to face me and Brandon. I mean Brandon and me. Sorrryyyy! "Oh? Who are you?"

Chrom looked at me with a raised brow, "Are you all right?"

I smiled, "Of course I'm all right! I'm the Doctor!"

"You're a doctor?"

"…No. Never mind…" I then spotted Erin and immediately ran over, running over Gonzy in the process, to the group of Shepherds, "Erin?!"

She slowly stood and looked at me before blinking several times. Her gaze then drifted to Gonzy and she blinked again, "Wow, Rei. Didn't think you were that kind of gal. Knocking out a boy–"

"I did not! It was stupid Gina GPS's fault!" I yelled, "And that is all I get?! No, 'Hi Rei! I missed you so much!' or 'Oh! I'm so sorry for leaving you!'"

Robin tilted his head as he and the Shepherds present watched our conversation, "See! I told you that you have a problem if you lose a _person_!"

A moan could be heard from Gonzy's direction as he slowly stood and made his way over to us, "You also have a problem if you try to kick an exhausted person awake…"

Erin's small smile burst into a goofy grin before she let out her barely contained giggles.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

I let out maniacal giggles as everyone stared at me like I had three heads. With my luck, I probably did. Oh, well!

"I-I'm s-sorry!" I gasped out, "I-It's just the absurdity of the situation. I mean like…" I stopped giggling and frowned instead, "I can't explain it…"

Rei snorted, "Please excuse my dear friend. She has a few screws loose."

Brandon sighed, "Says the one who _tried to kick an exhausted person awake_!"

I rolled my eyes before walking over and slugging the guy in the face, like I had wanted to do many, many times, but couldn't risk it.

"OW! WHAT THE HELL?!" He clutched his nose.

"HA! I can't be suspended from school~!" I ran away as the watching Shepherds, minus Sully; she cheered, gave me odd looks again… "*Ahem* I couldn't resist, all right?"

Robin facepalmed and muttered, "We're doomed," before walking in the direction of Ylisstol, the others beginning to follow.

"So who're these friends of yours?" Chrom asked as Rei and Brandon trudged behind us.

"Well, that's my best friend, Rei and that is Brandon. He's been screwing with my life since I was born…" I pointed at both respectively, "Though, I admit, it adds a bit excitement to my bland life. I mean…I'd just rather be punching stuff…or something. Is that weird?"

"You'll think it normal once you've met the rest of our company," Was all he said as he rejoined Frederick at the front. MEH. Which left me to walk in silence.

Yeah. That silence didn't last long. Queue Rei's afternoon stomach growl.

Rei looked around, embarrassed, "Er…How long 'til we get there?"

"You have the appetite of a dragon…" Brandon mumbled as Frederick turned from the front.

"It seems that we are here, Rei," He grunted, probably annoyed at having four new Shepherds in the course of two days.

I can't blame Freddy the Wary though. Watching over the royals is why he lives.

* * *

Wow. I don't swing that way, but…Damn. Exalt Emmeryn is beautiful. The game doesn't do her any justice. Green robes, green eyes and blonde hair on an average sized, slender figure, walking gracefully through the streets of Ylisstol with her royal guards, the pegasus knights. Yeah. There's Phila and Cordelia…Sumia? Hm. Odd. Hold up. Oh! She's just there for the flower shop.

Rei clutched onto my arm like a lost kid. Things is…She's a bit claustrophobic. So she's terrified right now. Why she clutches my arm even though she is claustrophobic? I don't know. It's part of the mystery of Rei.

Brandon is currently slack jawed. Dude. Stop staring at….Cordelia? Awe. That's adorable! He already had a little crush!

Frederick looked a little red as he watched Emmeryn…OH! My inner fangirl is really exploding right now!

Keep calm, Erin! Back away from the wonderful place and head to the other wonderful place known as the palace.

I barely even noticed when Emmeryn left with her royal guard and was roused from daydreams when Chrom said, "Sully, could you take Rei, Brandon and Virion to get set up at the garrison, while I bring these two to Emmeryn?"

Sully nodded and left with my friends and Virion as Robin just titled his head in confusion as I said, "Er…Forgive me, but…what business do I have seeing, your sister, the exalt? I mean wouldn't that be…I dunno," I moved my hands in a scale-like-manner, "I really have no place…"

Chrom shook his head with an awkward smile, "Nah, I'm sure Emmeryn would like to thank you for your efforts to protect Ylisse and get Robin here sorted out. She loves visitors."

"Yep!" Lissa chirped, "She's the best big sister ever."

Robin still held his head in thought before flicking his eyes from Lissa to Chrom and muttering, "Wait…" His eyes went back to Lissa and then to Chrom again, "Wouldn't that make you…"

I let out a really big sigh, "Robin. I think you have a problem if you can't pick up on subtle hints and still be an amazing tactician…"

"You remembered my name and not this?" Chrom asked with a chuckle, "But yes. That makes us the prince and princess of the realm."

Robin stood awkwardly for a few second before bending into an awkward bow, "Er…Forgive me, Chr- I mean, Pr-"

…

Both Chrom and Lissa burst out laughing, me joining in and Robin just standing there. Awkwardly.

"…"

Lissa stopped giggling, "You see…We're not really the formal type."

Chrom nodded in agreement, "We'd much rather be treated like anyone else you'd meet."

Robin stared at us awkwardly. Mr. Awkward then looked at me with a raised brow. Was I supposed to say something? Grovel, as well?

"What?" I asked, "Oh. I see. Never been one for formalities either. If I meet someone they'll instantly be my chum, doesn't matter if they're a nobody or a noble."

Robin nodded slowly as Chrom spoke up again, "Yes, well. Emm has a meeting with the council soon, so we'll have to hurry if we want to see her."

I nodded with a smirk, "If I were you, I'd steer clear of the palace until a boring council meeting was over. Maybe bash in some training dummies…But that's just me~"

* * *

**Third Person '?' PoV**

Twelve figures sat in a circle, each on a respective throne, surrounded by the stars, eight glowing brighter than the others. On the biggest was a woman sitting on a throne of coral and blue shells wearing a blue gossamer dress with a wavelike skirt connected by a golden belt. On her shoulders was an almost transparent cape with seaweed littered across it. Her head donned a crown of sea pearls which covered aqua blue locks. In her hand was a spear with a swirly shell at the end for the point.

"This council meeting has begun," She said in a strong, clear voice. As their leader, it was her job to commence the session and choose who would start, "Capricorn. You may start."

A man wearing similar outfit that consisted of a shirt and pants and a horned helmet spoke, "What is this plan of yours, Aquarius? The others have failed, hence their dim lights. What makes you think that these seven will keep us connected to the mortal worlds?"

A man garbed in red, with a horned helmet, axe, steel shoulder plates and bare chest spoke, "Ha! You think of your own as weak! My man will survive, or he isn't fit to call himself the host of Taurus!"

Aquarius sighed, "Please. Calm yourself, Taurus. Let me explain…" She raised her hand and a ball of water formed in the center of the group, showing various people going through their day to day lives, horseback, archery, kendo, karate… "I led you to these heroes, did I not?"

"Yes," The group murmured.

"They are handpicked from the best possible backgrounds and then…tweaked by Ate (Eye-tea = I.T.). Therein lies the difference between the first five. Those fools went ahead and picked the first they could find. They didn't have the goddess of mischief tweak them…That is why they failed."

A woman with blond hair and a small voice wearing a very middle-eastern-like garb spoke (Think: Belly dancer), "That is a difference, but do you think these 'tweaks' will be enough? It seems as if the scales are tipped in Grima's favor still…"

"That's understandable, Libra, but we must play this wild card. We must stop this destruction. We cannot interfere with this world anymore, as is. Naga wouldn't allow it."

A man with short aqua blue hair, finned crown, bare chest and wavelike pants spoke, "That manakete is a fool. We could easily fix that timeline if she were to allow it."

A man in armor, wearing a ram helm spoke, "Pisces, Naga has her reasons. She is no fool, nor is she at fault. If we were to mess with time, it could have many undesirable consequences. You recall what happened last time, yes?"

The second to last bright one of the eight, a woman in a leaf-like archer outfit with red hair and a bow slung over her shoulder, spoke, "Indeed, Aries. The cosmos were almost destroyed in that last instance. The land was almost destroyed…Nature, squandered…"

Aquarius caused the orb to dissipate and stood slowly, looking over towards the water bearer constellation, "Day is almost upon this land. I fear that we must end this meeting," The group all nodded, "Zodiac council adjourned!"

With that the Zodiacs transformed into their 'spirit/zodiac' form and left the area.

**So? That puts a spin on things. I think. I need to get my head out of Fairy Tail. Nao.**

**By the story cover, you can see that I have very little artistic talent...If anyone wants to and is willing...That is a Pseudo-Marth concept Pseudo-Ephraim that is gender bent. If you do want to for whatever reason and have artistic talent. Then send me a PM or whatever. **

**Um yeah!**

**Aquarius - Leader of the Zodiac, Mermaid lady.**

**Capricorn - Mr. Goatman!**

**Aries - Rammy!**

**Taurus - Teh Bull!**

**Libra - The scale. Not the dude. **

**Sagittarius - Centaur/Archer of doom**

**Pisces - *snickers* Fish dude and dudette (not really that will be sorted out later)**

**Cancer - Mr. Krabs!**

**I apologize for the lateness on this and I'll only give one excuse. Sm4sh.**

**Erin: Humph. Chrom should've been in Sm4sh. And Lucy shouldn't have been a freaking Marth clone! When I find who came up with those ridiculous ideas, I'll- *muffled speaking due to hand clamped over mouth*...Sakurai. **

**I apologize ****for my friends behavior. **

**Robin: Wellllll...I can rub it in Chrom's face for all eternity. **

**Chrom: That's until I don't come and save your hide and am the one dealing percent on you! ...That sounded better in my head...Your neediness has infested me...**

**Lucina: Indeed-**

**Hey! You're not supposed to be here. Get! Get, I say!**

**Rei: Don't worry, Lucy. You can stay! Don't listen to the mean author! Right, Gonzy?**

**Brandon: Y-yeah! What she said!**


	4. Chapter 4: Who Gave Rei a Fire Tome

**MERP! I admit this is so much for fun to write than FE:FA! Because it isn't linear! Three chaps in and we haven't even advanced much! **

**Anyway! What exactly are these hosts? The Zodiac? (I may or may not have been watching my brother who was watching reruns of Beyblade: Metal …Something…Fusion? I feel like a nerd now…Okay. I did collect those…When they were cool.) Lalalala. Who're the rest of the company? Why are five of the members of the Zodiac council dim? Find out…sometime….IN THE FUTURE. **

**(Disclaimer! I don't own Fire Emblem! All credit for everything besides my OCs goes to Nintendo and Intelligent Systems! [I wish I did…I would've made ChromXFeMU canon…And not shove his pairing with one of my favorite clumsy characters down our throats! Like in the gardens when-Never mind. This is dragging on longer than it has to…])**

**Rei: *sigh* Stop rambling!**

…

**Erin: Rambling is rambling…Why must we ramble…?**

**Brandon: Now you're rambling!**

**Rei: Anyway! Favorite and Review if you enjoy! I mean you don't have to…but yeah! FREE COUNTRY!**

…**Without any further ado…**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Who Gave Rei a Fire Tome?!**

**? PoV**

It was dark. Oh so freaking dark. And now this bugger's voice is in my head.

"_This 'bugger' is more important than you think…"_ Mr. Bugger muttered.

Uh huh. Yes. And?

…

Anyway, Mr. Bugger here keeps invading my sleepy time with these messed up dreams. That isn't cool.

Any minute now a dream on crack will appear. I mean it's messed up. Not what you all are probably thinking. Yeah.

OH! And so it begins!

…

That's different. It's a guy. With red crab-like armor. Hmmm. I dub thee Mr. Bugger Krabs.

…New scene? Okay?

A council…Some weird people…Damn! Is that a dragon? A six-winged, six eyed dragon of doom? That looks familiar…Where have I….Was it in RP on Skype with Erin and Rei? …No, it's from a game. I know this!

Nope. I'm drawing a blank.

"_This world is in danger…"_ Bugger Krabs said, _"IT will DIE!"_

And now I'm in the dragon's maw…I hope I taste horrible, you beast! Wait…Or good…I hope I taste good…I have horrible self-esteem sometimes…

* * *

"AHHH!" I awoke in my room, sweating and screaming for no reason. Damn nightmare clichés…

It's still dark?

I looked at the clock. It read 10pm…That was five minutes?!

Yeah. Sleep's hopeless. Let's see if Rei or Erin are on Skype…

…

…

I opened my computer and clicked on the Skype icon. It made the familiar noise and…

None of them are online…I do have that test on the human brain tomorrow in school…

…

…

I can't believe boredom and apparent insomnia has led to me _studying_…

"Sod it," I muttered as I typed 'brain' and didn't open the textbook on the floor…somewhere, like the lazy ass I am. Wikipedia it is…These are really bad studying habits…

Wait…What's that?

Something in the corner of the Google search result screen caught my eye.

"Three teenagers comatose without reason?"

That looks interes-

WAIT.

Is that Rei?! And Erin?!

"_Experts say that the three teenagers hadn't been showing any signs of ill health and had simply gone into a state of temporary coma or a sort of 'hibernation.' What happened is certainly a mystery and doctors are getting to the bottom of it as we speak. The three have been moved to a local hospital and have been hooked up to machines to give them oxygen and nourishment."_

"…This can't be…"

"_The three; Rei Feuer, Brandon Gonzales and Erin Fedelta are students at…."_

"That means…" I slowly stood, "We'll ne'er speak again?" I looked at the door of my room, "Erin…Rei…I need tae see ye guys…just tae ken that you'll awauken."

I ran towards the d-URPHH

Well, I found my textbook–Oh hello desk!

Goodbye desk!

And then my consciousness slipped away…

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Wow! This is just…beautiful!

Outside the entrance of the palace was a giant fountain with a statue of Naga–the one from that cutscene? The palace was in the distance wasn't it?–back to back with the Hero-King, Marth, in the center, spouting water from the tip of a raised Falchion 1.0.

Surrounding the fountain were neatly trimmed hedges and well-kept gardens.

"Wow…" Robin muttered, "And I thought the markets were nice…"

"What do you expect, doofus?" I asked, earning a giggle from Lissa, "If the city is amazing, would this be amazing? The gardens are beautiful and the architecture is glorious" I looked at it again, "Annabeth Chase can't hold a candle to it."

"Who?" Chrom asked.

…Me and my big mouth…

"Oh, just an architect who lived nearby. She was really amazing." I think? Didn't she head the reconstruction of Mount Olympus in the PJ books?

"You never told us much about yourself. What's your story? Where do you hail from?" Chrom asked as Frederick let out a snort. Is it uncommon that Chrom uses fancy vocab or something?

Wait…Damn it.

"W-well…." I hesitated, "I am…kind of…lost. No joke. I guess I sort of set out to pursue some dream of mine and forgot which direction home was in."

Frederick snorted again, "You expect us to believe that? The amnesiac was crazy enough, but you expect us to just buy that without–"

Chrom facepalmed at the same topic Frederick had been bringing up for the whole trip.

"Frederick…Please. We trust them," He sighed, walking past the guards at the inner gate. There were two gates, "This way."

We swiftly moved up the steps and into the heeeeuuuuge palace. This puts…Buckingham Palace to shame! Actually, I've never been there. Never mind.

In the center of the room, standing in front of a throne and surrounded by her honor guard was Emmeryn. Her arms were at her sides and she had a wide smile on her face.

"Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, welcome home!" She turned to Phila, who was at her side, and gave her a signal. Phila turned to the present pegasus knights and apparently told them to leave, because they saluted and left the room, "I hope that your patrol to rid the border of those bandits Phila's knights reported was successful."

"We stopped the first attack and when returned, we barely stopped a second," Chrom nodded, "Though we shouldn't have problems from them for a while."

…_They knew about that already? Oh! Right! That was in the comics!_

"That's certainly a relief, but what of the people inhabiting the border villages?"

"The mayor of Southtown said that those border villages haven't been attacked in a while and that the bandits have been aiming at the heart of Ylisse. Southtown being part of it. We still need to watch our borders though. Those brigands were Plegian."

Phila bowed respectively, "Forgive me, milord. I should have sent the pegasus knights to intercept the second attack."

"There wasn't need, Phila. Your duty was here, protecting Emmeryn."

Lissa nodded, "Those brigands were running for the hills after we finished them off. Thanks to Erin and Robin, of course!"

Emmeryn moved her gaze to Robin and me at the back of the group, "You speak of the two who accompany you?"

"Yes, they both fought valiantly," Chrom said, "I've decided to make both Erin and Robin Shepherds. The latter becoming our new tactician."

Robin slightly bowed awkwardly as I gave a cheerful, but sheepish finger-wiggly-wave. I hope that didn't get me a death sentence...

Emmeryn's smile widened, "It seems that Ylisse owes you a debt, Erin and Robin."

"Not at all, milady!" Robin said as I let out a small laugh.

"What do you mean, Robin? You were amazing out there, Mr. Tactician!" I made him blush in embarrassment! Awe!

"Forgive me, Your Grace…I must speak!" Frederick said as Robin and I facepalmed, "Robin claims to have lost his memory and Erin claims to have lost her way…We cannot get rid of the possibility of them both being brigands or Plegian spies."

Oh! Can't resist like Owain's twitching sword hand!

"Forgive me, Sir Frederick, but I must speak…" I said slowly, "While that could be true, it could also be false as well. True, you shouldn't trust someone you've just met, nor can you judge them at a first glance. Being wary is a good trait, but judging someone before you see their actions isn't. And you've seen my actions thus far. That may very well be poor judgement."

I might have put myself into some serious shit, but going all author mode on him was worth it!

Yup. From Freddy's glare, I can tell that my head will be on his lance before next week. On the other hand, Chrom, Emmeryn and Robin looked slightly amused while Lissa giggled silently. Hell, Phila is even smiling slightly.

…

…

…

…

…

"Very well," Emmeryn started, "It seems as though you have both earned Chrom's trust. And with it, you have earned mine as well."

_How do you like them apples?! Huh, Frederick?!_

"Thank you, Your Grace," I said as Robin said;

"Milady."

She nodded and smiled at Frederick, who looked like a mix between embarrassed and wanting to strangle someone. I have that effect on people…

"Thank you, Frederick. You never fail to look after us. My brother and sister are blessed to have such a tireless guardian. I hope they acknowledge that fact from time to time."

Frederick nodded, "Yes. They sometimes express something akin to gratitude…" He looked toward Phila, "Phila, I assume you've heard of the deathly creatures we had encountered?"

"Yes, milord," Phila said, "There have been sightings all across Ylisse. I've sent out a few pegasus knights to dispatch them."

"Chrom," Emmeryn turned back to Chrom, "We are about to hold council and we'll need your knowledge on this threat in order to come to a decision. I was hoping you could join us."

"O-of course, Emm," Chrom said, clearly not wanting this.

Hey, I warned you, Princey. Should've listened!

Lissa giggled as Chrom and Frederick slowly followed Emmeryn and Phila into the council room.

"Looks like that's our cue!" She grabbed both my hand and Robin's, "I've got some peeps I want you to meet!"

* * *

**Rei's PoV**

**Meanwhile…**

Damn. I'm so hungry!

Currently, I was walking through the garrison, trying to find some yum-yums for my tum-tum. I had just gotten my room and now I can't fine my way back to it or to the mess hall in this two story, labyrinthine fort.

Wait. Hold up.

I smell something good…Cookies!

Doing what anyone would do in that situation, I ran through the place, following the scent until I reached my destination.

…

Gonzy! Hey! I claimed those mentally! No fa–

Oh! There's more!

I wonder who made them….

"Hey, you're Rei, aren't you?" A familiar cavalier said.

"Yeppers!" I said, "And who might you be?"

I already knew who it was, but ya know…I don't really know him.

"I'm Stahl. Nice to meet you!"

"Likewise," I eyed a dish of cookies in the corner, "Did you make those beauties?"

"Oh you mean the cookies? Yeah. You can have some if–"

I immediately grabbed the dish and sat at one of the many wooden-school-cafeteria-style tables. Taking a cookie, I bit into it and the deliciousness washed over my tonguey-tongue.

"Dese are dewicous!" I said around the cookie, "What are they, chocolate chip? They sure taste like it!"

Stahl shook his head in amusement, "Nope. They're oatmeal raisin cookies."

…

…

Oh shoooooot.

"Wait a minute. Those cookies aren't chocolate chip…I'm allergic to raisins! Shit!" I jumped up and began running around the room like a headless chicken. That is the Rei way. Hey! That rhymes!

"Those...are...raisins. WHYYYYYY-HY-HYYYYY?! SHAWTY, DESTROY ALL THE FOOD DISPENSERS! WIPE THE RAISIN ABOMINATIONS OFF THE MAP!" I pointed at Gonzy, "I JUST WANTED CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES! WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?"

Stahl looked at Gonzy awkwardly, "Um….Will she live?"

He just nodded, "This is an everyday occurrence. Meet Rei. She just gets a bad cold."

"Another question…What's a food dispenser?"

Gonzy looked from the cookies to Stahl, "Well…It dispenses food? I dunno. Rei has one overactive imagination."

I let out a loud sneeze before turning to them, "Stop tawking abouf meh!" Great! Now my nose is clogged!

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Lissa had just introduced us to everyone and all that. There really isn't much to note there. We talked and Sumia fell on her face when Chrom returned. So yeah. We're heading to Ferox in the next week or so.

Joy…

Me? I decided to explore. I need some form of instrument to play or I fear I will die. No joke. I need something…I can't risk anyone seeing my other worldly stuff, so this is my best bet. To keep my sanity of course.

Where will I search, though? Meh. Maribelle has bound to have some type of instrument in the garrison…

Hell, I think I hear one now…

I've lost it.

…Wait. It's coming from down the hall.

I made a left in the labyrinthine garrison and found an open door. With Maribelle. And a piano. SCORE!

I slowly entered and waited for her to finish playing before applauding. Maribelle jumped in surprise and then quickly 'composed' herself. Oh, damn me and my music puns.

"Hmph," She stood, "I didn't know that the lowborn had an appreciation for music."

…Author mode. Initiate.

"I'm going to ignore the lowborn part, Lady Maribelle," I said, "But, sure, us 'lowborns' have a huge appreciation for music. In fact, I play a few instruments myself."

"Really?" She asked, "I didn't know that you baseborn brutes had such talent. If you want to call it that. Please. Entertain me."

I scanned the room, sending up a prayer for a–

FLUTE!

Ha ha! Bene!

"As you wish, Maribelle. Could I call you that? It seems that's the…level ground between us. Seeing as I'm not looking down my nose…" I walked over to the instrument. It was actually metal! No wood flutes for moi!

…

…

One teensy problem…No music…Okay. Let's see what I remember…What did I have to memorize for marching band? Oh! Notre Dame Victory March! Let's do that.

I quickly went through the song. Hopefully there weren't any mistakes…I think there were a lot.

Maribelle looks genuinely surprised.

"It's seems that your gloating wasn't baseless. You have my sincerest apologies."

I let out a small laugh. A sincere one, "Thanks, Maribelle. I'm just a simple soldier, writer and musician. Nothing noble about it."

"Oh, on the contrary! …Erin, was it?" I nodded as she spoke, "That is a noble pursuit. Music is a glorious thing! Not many know how to read it. Or play it, no less!"

"Eh…I suppose," I muttered. That song was filled with mistakes…but I guess since it was foreign, she didn't notice…?

"Well, farewell to you. It is time that I've met Lissa for our daily tea."

"Oh…uh…See you later, Mari!"

And then I was left in a room with an instrument.

…

What the hell am I doing in here? Alone? With an instrument?!

I'm just…going to take this, its case and flee from the scene! I want to find a weapon and beat up some dummies!

* * *

**Rei's PoV**

"ACHOO!" I sneezed as I clutched the fire tome I had 'borrowed' from Miriel, "Stubid code!"

I know it isn't Stahl's fault, but I still want to strangle him! Well, anyone will do! Hm. And I have this Fire tome. I could light some people…Er…_dummies_ up!

"ACHOO!" I rubbed my nose as I walked over to a dummy that was being brutally murdered by my bestie.

"Hyah!" Erin punched the dummy in the face before turning to me, "Oh, hey Rei! What's up?"

"The sky…."

"What's wrong?"

"Stubid Stahl mabe stubid raisin cookies!" I sniffled, "Abd they looked like chocobate cookies!"

"…I hope you aren't planning revenge with that tome…" She looked down at the Fire tome.

"No, bub I wanb to try it oub!" I focused on my hands as I opened to a random page, "Now how does bis work?"

"I dunno! Why are you asking me?"

"You're the one that has bear nose in a book when you aren't blaying vibeo gabes!"

"You know that's not true! Did you forget that I do karate, volleyball and swim team?"

"…"

"Hey are you even listening?!"

I looked down at the tome as a small fire formed in my hand.

Erin's eyes widened, "Wow. You did it!"

"Yeah…." I looked down at the tome, "FIRE!"

"AHHHHH!" Erin jumped back as the spell hit her sleeve, "REI! YOU IDIOT!" and proceeded to run around, waving her arms over her head, which made the fire worse.

I did what any person would do in this situation. Roll on the floor laughing.

"REI! THAT'S WHAT YOU DO IF YOUR CLOTHES ARE ON FIRE! GET HELP, YOU IDIOT!"

What I didn't notice was the small mage running over to her. When he was in range he launched a spell.

"ELWIND!"

Erin was flung across the ground and into a training dummy.

"He heh! Thanks, kid!" I said to the mage.

"I-I'm not a kid!"

"Sure, shortstob! My name's Rei, by the bay." I smiled down at the kid. Yes, down! I'm taller than someone!

"…"

"…"

"What's with your voice?"

"Allerbies. Stahl mabe raisin cookies…"

"You're allergic to raisins?"

"Yeb!"

"….Oh! I'm Ricken by the way!"

"Hello R-"

"REI!" I heard Erin yell.

"Holb that thought!" I turned on my tail and ran towards the entrance to the palace.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Oh! When I find Rei, I'll kill her!

I ran through the palace halls, not paying attention where I was going or where Rei was. I think I might be lost. Yeah. Let's just keep running around blindly…Yeah!

_La la la la lal lal lalaalalallalalalalala! RUNNING. RUNNING IN THE HALLS! AND NO ONE CAN STOP MEH!_

…_._

Yeah, I need ther–

OOOOPH!

"What in the–"

"OWWW!"

…

…

…

Oh? Did I just run into Princey?

"...Hey…Um…Sorry about that…."

…Why's he apologizing?

Oh…Okay. Outstretched hand. Reach…and I'm on my feet again. Okay!

"Why are you apologizing? I was the one chasing after Rei. _After she set me on fire…_" I blinked and looked at the big portrait on the wall next to where I crashed into him…HEY?! WHERE'S 'MY' FLUTE?!

There it is! Let's just pick it up. Okay. Looking at the portrait again.

"Is that…" I started, "the Hero-King Marth?"

Chrom nodded, "Yes. I often come here to gather my thoughts before a long march."

"Really? …What does that say?" I looked at the words engraved in the golden frame, ""The world will never be perfect. That doesn't mean it's romantic or naïve to try and change it for the better…""

…Isn't that a deviation of a Steven Pinker quote? I feel like I've seen that before…

"That's a saying passed down from my too-many-greats-to-count-grandfather."

"Naturally…" I murmured, "Marth did live a few centuries ago. I find it fascinating…That such power to put a…uh…god to rest, could exist…"

"It truly is fascinating, isn't it…?"

I let out laugh, "We need to stop talking in circles. Yes, Marth is a badass with a badass sword who helped a badass god slay another pretty almost badass god." I smiled, "Now…This is really awkward. May I suggest breaking the ice?"

"…Hasn't it already been broken?"

"You aren't one for conversations, are you, Chrom? How about twenty-one questions? You're my boss and I barely know anything about you. You go first. Ask me any question you'd like, but for a twist you'll have to answer that question as well. Be careful what you ask."

"Any question?" He asked as I nodded, "That looks like an instrument case. What instrument do you play?" He says pointing at the flute case. Um uh….

"You're going to waste a question on that? Okay, I play the flute. Quite the lively instrument. Mostly has the melody. Loud and annoying sometimes and then beautiful and serene the next. Sort of like….I dunno," I was going to say myself, but then I'd be calling myself serene (which is not true) and I'm not bold enough to say the former.

"I don't play any instruments. I won't say I haven't tried. Maribelle practically forced a few upon me. Including Lissa's and my nanny of sorts. ...We don't speak of the poor things' fates."

"You broke them all out of frustration didn't you?" I smirked, "You aren't alone. I chucked my flute at a wall once and broke this really expensive dish…My mother was so mad…Er…Um….A question for you…I was going to ask favorite color…but I can already see that it is blue…How about…" What is a question you'd just ask a normal person? "Favorite food?"

"That has to be…Honestly…Bear meat. It just…I don't know. Gives me a sense of adventure outside of these walls…I mean I've been out of the city, but…I've never left Ylisse."

"Really?" I asked, "Hm…Understandable…"

* * *

**? PoV**

Umm…..

Darkness. Okay. Darkness. Yeah. And oh wait.

DARKNESS.

"Umm….Sir? Sir!" I heard a very familiar voice yell, "Are you all right?"

Well…The ground is hard. Like wood. I'm moving too.

I opened my eyes open and saw a pink-haired woman in….dancer clothes?

That dragon…Yes! That was Grima, wasn't it?!

So, why am I here?

"Y-you're awake!" She cried happily, "I'm sorry for moving you from where you were….but you were in the middle of the road and when I tried to rouse you…I….Um…"

I blinked a few times and looked at my hands. Gauntlets. Silver ones…Like the ones that are part of my Zacharias Barnham cosply….Really, world?! What are you gonna do now? Give me a British accent and make me a 'manly man?!'

"It's fine, miss," OH THANK GOD….I am so sorry, "Just where are we?"

"In…my caravan heading…to Regna Ferox…" She said shyly, "…Oh! My name's Olivia…by the way…"

"My name's Lucas. Nice to meet you Olivia," I held out my hand for a handshake. When she didn't move I pulled my hand back sheepishly.

"…Hm…Your voice is different from before…."

"From before?"

"…It had an accent…You were mumbling something in your sleep."

"Oh…That's only when….I'm stressed…"

And that's how my journey with Olivia began. We soon headed to West Ferox to meet up with Khan Basilio and I became part of Olivia's dance. I showed them the modern moves of our times of course. It might've been a mistake, but it was all worth it for all the great times I had there and on the road with Olivia.

…Then I discovered the 3DS….

* * *

**Third Person Aquarius PoV**

"It seems that four of our eight heroes have arrived…." Aquarius murmured, "Ate!"

"Yes, Aquarius?" The goddess of mischief appeared at the leader of the Zodiac's side.

"Begin your changes on this newcomer. It seems Cancer was trying to bend some rules…"

"Yes, ma'am!" The small red-haired goddess left the 'room.'

"…It has begun…The world has begun to collapse…I put my faith in you my host….as I put my faith in the rest of the hosts…."

* * *

**Oooh! Who's Aquarius's host? Who's this Cancer dude? …Never mind. We know him. I just forgot him in the last chapter…Who are the rest of the Zodiac Hosts?! Find out next *gunshot***

**I really like how this story is sturning out so far. Oh! So many possibilities! If anyone wants to request a sidequest, then I'm all ears! There will be a few of these in here and I cannot wait! Now I was going to put a rant down there...About Religion interrupting stuff (more importantly how much of this story I get done) *gunshot* And down there is my other excuse for absence...vvvvv**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**THIS IS NOT RELATED TO THE STORY. EXCUSE OF ABSENCE. MAY ALSO CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR vvvv**

**Okay. I am on the verge of tears right now. So I'm on the end of the second trial in Professor Layton VS. Phoenix Wright and….**

***Runs at random character in story and hugs them.***

**Erin – Oh no! Chrom, you take this one!**

**Chrom – *sighs* Fine.**

**SHE'S GONE! AND SHE AIN'T NEVER COMING BACK!**

**Chrom – Who's gone?**

**MAYA FEY! **

***jumps to chapter….6?***

**SHE'S BACK! YAY!**

**Chrom – Do you really think they'd kill a main character?**

**They killed you…**

**Chrom – WHAT?!**

**Nothing….**

**Lucina – If Father's life is in–**

**LUCINA, NO!**

**Lucina – ….**

**THANK YOU!**

**Lucas – I'm barely in this chapter for five minutes and shit is messed up…**

**Brandon – Welcome to our world. **

**Rei – You are trapped here. FOREVER!**

**Erin – And EVER!**

**Lucas – NOOOOOO!**

**Ahem…**

…

…

…

…

**SAY WHAT YOU WANT. **

…

**I have no regrets….**


	5. Chapter 5: Turnabout Witches! Part 1

**Hellooooo! I can't wait for this to progress! My reasons? You might see in this chapter or the next! Depends on what I get to! I is soooooosssssss exciteds!**

**Woah, woah, woah! 804 views already?! Hot damn! Thanks guys!**

**….Okay. My brain is exploding right now! Those Pokemon updates! ^.^ **

**Anyway! Slow internet shall be slow and the chapter is a go, go, go!**

**Chapter 5: Turnabout Witches?! Part 1**

**In the cosmos…**

A white dragon stood atop a 'precipice' that had somehow formed in the cosmos. Kneeling in front of her was a messenger spirit.

"Mercury, I want you to warn Naga immediately," The dragon said as she flicked her tail.

The winged messenger bowed his head, "Yes, Lady Raava."

When the messenger vanished, another appeared in front of the Raava.

"A message, Mother? May I ask about the contents of this message?" The newcomer asked.

"I suppose you have a right to know, Aquarius…" She looked down at the eldest of her children as she morphed into a more humanoid figure, "It is worse than we originally thought. It isn't just Grima who's stirring, but his father as well…."

"But that's impossible!" Aquarius exclaimed, "The seal put upon the spirit of chaos and darkness by you, myself, my siblings and Naga cannot be broken! Not yet! A millennium has not past!"

"…" Raava remained silent for a minute, "It seems as if an outside force is at work…Or one of our own has turned. Only _we_ have the power to break the seal…"

Aquarius looked in the direction of Ylisse angrily, "It's that manakete's fault isn't it?! She–!"

"Enough! You will not talk to your sister in that matter!" Raava raged, "She would never hurt her own people! She loves them too much!"

"She is no sister of mine!" Aquarius continued, "She's spawn of that–!"

"I said enough!" Raava glared at the water bearer, "Now leave! Bring this news to your siblings."

…

…

…

"Tell them Vaatu will return…"

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"ERIN!"

"GOOD MORNING, YLISSE~" I yelled as Rei somehow got into my _locked_ room to wake me up for the march, "EVERYDAY'S LIKE AN OPEN DOOR! EVERYTHING'S LIKE A FANTASY! EVERY SOUND'S LIKE A SYMPHONY~ GOOD MORNING, YLI–!"

*Slap*

…

"Thanks, Rei…" I murmured as I rolled out onto the floor and lied there a minute before getting up and pulling on my washed 'arrival' clothes. I need more stuff for this wardrobe!

"No problemo! Don't want the others to get mad at you for your sleeping habits!" She smiled, "And you've got breakfast duty before the march. So I got you up extra early! Make those heavenly scrambled eggs!"

That is the only thing I know how to make…Pathetic, I know. I never said that I barely passed Home Ec. Now you know.

"…So what you're saying is. It's still early," Rei nodded at this, "If you weren't my best friend, I'd kill you," I said as I walked to the door and turned the knob.

"I know~!" Rei chirped as she skipped out the door behind me.

"*sigh* Rei! Quietly! People are sleeping!" I 'whispered' harshly.

"Aww…You're no fun," She mumbled and proceeded to skip in slow motion to avoid making noise.

Rei Feuer, ladies and gentlemen!

* * *

Well. I think that turned out rather well. No one fainted. Which is a given with how awesome these eggs are…I probably didn't use that right. Whatever. It seemed like people enjoyed it.

_*puts on imaginary shades* And I got everyone's orders. Deal with it…_

…

…

…

I need someone to pop my inflating ego. Like right now or I might go and try to one-up people…

"…My one-up senses are tingling…." Rei murmured as she pointed a rubber spatula at me as we stood in the kitchen, cleaning up everything. We needed to finish this fast, as we were marching soon.

"Yes. Please. Pop my inflating ego…." I said as my hands began to twitch.

I have a problem…I think. I need therapy for this. ASAP.

"Already on it…" Rei smirked evilly as she pulled her phone out of a secret compartment in her yellow tactician coat, "Remember when this happened?" She showed me a picture of the time I got covered in mashed potatoes at lunch.

The nurse was out of spare clothes and my parents weren't able to drop clothes off, so, naturally, I had to walk around _covered_ in mashed potatoes all day. I didn't speak to Rei for half a day…Heh.

"GODS! You still have that?!" I yelled embarrassedly, "Put it away! And delete that photo!"

"…Nope. I think I'll keep-."

Chrom poked his head into the room causing both of us to jump and Rei to throw her indestructible phone into an empty pot.

"Hey, are you done in here yet?" He asked, "We're about to head out."

"YES SIR!" Rei and I saluted smartly.

Chrom seemed to 'sweatdrop' as I call it–you can't really do that in real life…Okay, use imagination!–as he ducked out of the doorway, saying, "All right. Meet us at the end of the military district."

After a few seconds Rei whimpered, "My poor phone…" and reached into the pot, "No cracks or anything! That's a relief!"

I rolled my eyes, "Let's go…"

We both picked up our bags of packed clothes and stuff that we had left in the kitchen and headed into the military district.

**? PoV**

I walked into a crowded town, hoodies unzipped revealing a blue shirt. The civilians looked at me odd, but it didn't bother me, Mother planned it that way after all. My whole wardrobe and even my name.

Rory.

Ringing any bells? Not many know where the idea came from. Care to guess? Go on ahead.

Anyway, I continued to walk through the town, hoping to find some lead to one of the Gemstones or even my mother. That was until I heard a scream. A very familiar scream…That means…

"Ye curs! Unhand me this instant or ye'll be missing a few bits!" I heard Amelia yell.

…Someone has their hands on my girlfriend…

…

…

I immediately ran in the direction of her voice.

Running around a corner, I saw her waving her iron sword at some thugs.

"Hey! Meat sacs! Let go of my girlfriend!"

The thugs and Amelia turned their attention to me. Their expressions were mixed. Amelia's being one of joy and the bandits/brigands/thugs/whatever looked pretty made.

Thug number one smirked, "Then you shoulda kept the pretty lass in sight."

Thug number two nodded, "Not like she'd want the eyes of a whelp like you on 'er!"

While they were distracted Amy lashed out and kicked them away before running to me, as I ran at the thugs, sword drawn. I easily incapacitated them.

…

…

That was too easy. They didn't even have weapons!

"Aboot bloody time ye shawed up! A've bin wondering aroond aimlessly trying tae fin' ye!"

"Well, soooooorrrry! We were separated during the jump to the past!"

"…Hmph…Whatever," Amy said, finally calming down.

"….Where's your brother?"

"I dunno…Probably flirting with some village maidens….

**Chrom's PoV**

"Stahl's late," Robin murmured beside me as we watched Rei, Erin and Brandon absolutely fail at a crash course on horseback. It was required that each Shepherd could at least ride a horse, not necessarily in battle though. …Well that's what we told them.

I nodded, "Stahl was never a morning person," I turned from the newest Shepherds and faced the tactician, "Say…Robin?"

"Yes, Chrom?"

"You don't know how to ride a horse, correct?"

The tactician visibly paled as Cordelia, one of Phila's finest, walked up, Maribelle by her side. The color returned to his face as Cordelia spoke, saving him for the time being.

"All the equipment is loaded and accounted for, Prince Chrom," Cordelia bowed, "I best be on my way to join Captain Phila and the other knights."

"Thank you, Cordelia. You didn't need to organize the convoy…."

"It was my pleasure, milord!" Cordelia swiftly turned and walked away.

Maribelle stepped forward, "Milord," She hesitantly acknowledged Robin, "Robin, I wish you both good fortune in the negotiations with those brutes in Regna Ferox."

Robin forced a smile–or was it real?–and looked at Maribelle, "Thanks, Maribelle."

"Hmph," Maribelle turned away, "It is simply common courtesy to acknowledge all those present, don't expect that to hold any meaning."

I sighed. Maribelle will be Maribelle, "Just hold down the fort while we're in Ferox."

Maribelle turned back with a small smile, "Certainly, milord. Ylisse and your sister are in good hands. You'll pity any brigand that gets near me and my trusty parasol."

With that Maribelle walked back towards the garrison.

Robin silently watched the newest Shepherds again before smirking, "When are you going to tell them that this crash course is just a joke?"

"I was waiting for you to figure it out…." I said.

"AHHHH!" Rei soared through the air and landed on top of Robin.

"AUGH!" Robin yelped at he crashed under the weight of the petite girl while Brandon and Erin high-fived in the background.

I barely contained my laughter as the tactician pushed Rei off and slowly stood.

"Stahp," Robin grumbled.

"When can we stop doing this pointless crash course?" Rei asked, "Because I know all of this is a load of pegasus dung…" She frownec, "It doesn't add up. _Pull this again and you'll dread your judgement day..._"

"Yeah, you didn't have to do any of that...It was just amusement while we were waiting for Cordelia to finish with the supplies," I said fearfully, thinking of the many things Rei could do for revenge.

**Erin's PoV**

"WHAAAAAT?!" I yelled angrily, "We didn't have to do that?!"

The present Shepherds, including Chrom and Robin, tried to hold in laughter as we stood before the road.

"Don't worry, you get the first caravan shift," Robin said.

"Caravan shift?" Brandon asked.

"You get the first two hours of every day in the caravan. After your two hours are up, you swift with one of the marching Shepherds. Two Shepherds also ride in the convoy and switch with other marching Shepherds as well."

I smiled, "Robin! You're a saint! You know that, right?"

Robin sighed, "Don't praise me yet…."

Chrom nodded before turning to the rest of the Shepherds, "We'll be stopping at a town halfway to Ferox to restock and get warmer clothes if necessary."

Really? That's new…

…

…

Hm. Continue?

"Hey!" Stahl yelled from behind us, "Wait for me!"

Rei ran up to the cavalier, "Stahl! You made it!"

Frederick glared at Stahl, "Yes, and would you like to explain your tardiness?"

"It's not my fault. Honest. No one told me about the march. I found out from Miriel this morning," Everyone just stared until Stahl simply said, "…Vaike."

All present Shepherds, excluding Vaike, facepalmed.

Lissa sighed, "…Vaike? Did you forgot to tell Stahl about the march?"

The blonde haired man held up his hands defensively, "The Vaike doesn't forget…I just don't always remember is all."

"I swear to Naga that you'd forget you name if you didn't always say it to yourself!" Lissa looked around, "Speaking about forgetting things…Did you forget your axe again?"

"Hey! That only happened once…! Okay, twice tops! Training sessions don't count!"

Rei let out a distressed sigh, "Okay, Sleepyhead, why didn't you just ride your horse here?" She gestured to Stahl's horse, Pancake, who was being led by the reigns.

He blushed in embarrassment and rubbed his neck sheepishly, "I don't do well when I'm hungry?"

"…"

"What? I missed breakfast!"

The present Shepherds, including me, simply walked to our respective positions for the march.

* * *

I sat in the caravan with an old tome, inkwell and quill while Rei and Brandon talked with Sumia. Yay…Medieval times!

_An account of the Shepherds by:_

_Erin Fedelta -_

_November 14 X178 – _

I flipped the page and began the first entry…

"_As you read in the first page of the book, my name is Erin Fedelta. Last January (X178) I turned eighteen and…left home. I found myself lost until coming across Chrom, Lissa and their valiant knight Frederick, who had been accompanied by the amnesiac tactician, Robin, in Southtown, a town south of Ylisstol, on the southern coast of Ylisse. I know. It's a run-on sentence. You may as well get used to it as you're reading this._

"_I met many different characters after I made the journey back to Ylisstol with the group, another Shepherd, Sully, and a flirtatious noble named Virion, who later joined the Shepherds. _

"_Gods, you should've seen Robby's reaction to finding out Chrom and Lissa were the prince and princess of Ylisse! _

"_Soon after we arrived, I met the amazing exalt, Lady Emmeryn. Damn. If one word could label her it'd be serenity. She was a calming presence in this world of…love and war, I suppose? They truly are lucky to–."_

"What's that you're writing?"

"GYAAHHH!" I jumped in my spot as I noticed Chrom's presence, "By the gods, Chrom! You almost gave my awesome self a heart attack!"

"….Um…Sorry about that," He muttered, "But seriously, you've piqued my curiosity, what's that book for?"

"Oh this?" I looked at my neatish handwriting on the pages, "It's a journal. An account of the Shepherds of Ylisse for future generations of Shepherds or for museums in the future…See what I mean?"

"That seems interesting," He took a seat in the caravan, across from me, "What else?"

"…You're just like my mother sometimes…" I murmured, "If I got a letter from _anyone_ she would ask about the contents and who it was from! Like woman! I have a right to know what's in my _mail_ and not to show you it!"

Chrom sweatdropped again.

...

DAMNIT.

"…My mother…" I frowned, "I don't know when I'll see her or my brother and sister again…They were annoying and I constantly wanted to brutally murder them…but…"

"Are you all right? I hope I didn't–."

"You did nothing wrong, Chrom!" I snapped, causing him to wince, "I just need some time to think," I looked away sadly, "I suggest you go before I say something I regret. I've got quite the vocabulary."

I heard the creaking of wood as he left the caravan.

That's when I let a few tears flow.

I shouldn't have snapped! I shouldn't have even brought that up!

And through all of it I could vaguely here the ding of a completed support…

* * *

"RAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!"

….

"Milord!" Frederick yelled back, "There appear to be Risen up ahead!"

_No, that really loud groan/scream was a cow!_

Rei, Brandon, Sumia and I stepped out of the caravan to see a frowning Chrom.

"Gods…Have they spread this far?!"

"No, Chrom, those are walking potato sacks!" I said.

"…Look, I'm sorry about–."

"Milord, the Risen are mobilizing, we best strike while the iron is hot," Frederick interrupted.

Rei jumped beside me and held up a Fire tome that someone for some reason let her keep. Like seriously?!

"We're gonna char that rotten flesh!"

Brandon sighed, "I guess this sword'll do."

"Nope," I swiped the iron sword, "Wild Gonzys cannot have sharp objects in their possession. It runs the risk of accidentally dead comrades. I shall use it in your stead."

Brandon frowned and just got a bronze one from the convoy…that was following Chrom like a sentient being.

…

…

OH GODS! IT'S SENTIENT!

"RAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Risen cried again, the growl/groan accompanied by a blast of fire from its direction this time, causing the present Shepherds to run and duck for cover.

**BADOOOOOMMMMMMMM!**

"HEY! That's not fair!" I yelled, peeking out of my hiding spot, "They've got an almost infinite amount of explosives!"

"Yes, but they don't have the skill to wield such magic without the aid of tomes. I, on the other hand, am quite acquainted with tomeless magic…" Miriel muttered behind us, causing everyone to slowly rise from their cover sheepishly.

"If I had my axe, I'd drive it up their asses!" Vaike grumbled.

"Hmph," Miriel pulled an axe from her waist, "I was wondering what form of ignoramus would forget such a thing…" She hand over the axe, "but still Vaike is a deucedly uncouth ignoramus and a debauched simple-minded arbitrary dereliction of genetics."

…

"Was tha' an insult, lady?" Vaike asked.

"Debauched…Means corrupt," Robin said, trying think of what Miriel said, "She basically said you're a "Damnably uncivilized stupid and corrupt random neglect of Naga." Gods, Miriel! That's cold!"

"…"

…

…

…

"It is horribly true my allies," Miriel said as she threw a fire spell at one of the Risen archers.

We all shrugged and ran into battle.

Rei started firing fire spells at Risen, as I ran in and finished them off.

"Kill stealer!" Rei yelled unhappily.

"Too bad~"

"GUYS!" Robin's voice yelled, "PLAN!"

"OH….RIIIIGHT," Everyone said simultaneously.

"REI, STAHL, GON–ER, BRANDON, SULLY, VAIKE, VIRION, I WANT YOU TO CHARGE THE CAVALIERS! REI AND VIRION IN THE SECOND ROW AND STAHL, BRANDON, SULLY AND VAIKE IN FRONT!" He turned to the rest of us, "CHROM, ERIN, FREDERICK, LISSA, SUMIA (She's here?! I totally forgot about that!) AND MYSELF WILL FEND OFF THE SWORD AND AXE WIELDERS!"

"SIR!" Rei and I said simultaneously before running off to do our roles.

As we neared the sword users, I ran at one and aimed a slash at its torso, before falling back. I didn't escape unscathed though and yelped in pain.

"YOWCH! Big meanie!" I yelled, as Chrom finished off the Risen with a single strike…Screw you, Chrom, "That's what happens when you mess with the sheep! You get the slaughter!" That was a really bad 'Ally defeats enemy quote….'

I sighed in relief as I felt the pain of my wound disappear for a second, before the feeling the flesh force itself back together. OW. It hurts. …

And now it doesn't!

Lissa! You saint!

Anyway, it looks like Frederick finished off the leader in the time that I was waiting to be healed…Aww…

I wanted more action!

* * *

We finally reached the small town after another hour. From here it'll be about a week until we get to Ferox…

Rei and I had immediately located a store with wintery clothes. We may have NY blood, but I have a feeling Ferox will reach Canadian temperatures…Better safe than sorry.

"OH. MY. GOD," I gasped as I saw a very familiar cloak and dress, "Rei doesn't this look like Espella Cantabella's dress and cloak?"

"Yes!" Rei squealed like a fangirl, "What size is it?"

"My size!" I cheered as I snatched it off the rack and ran into the changing room.

"Erin! No far…Screw you!" Rei wailed in dismay, those wails were drowned out when she squealed again, "Maya Fey! It's my size!"

I stepped out of the dressing room. Cloak and weird dress thingy on. I don't like dresses, but this is an exception!

"So?"

Rei nodded enthusiastically...as we both ran to the cashier, who was an Anna.

"Oh, I see you discovered our Outrealm exclusive outfits…" She smiled evilly, "That'll be 10 gold for both."

TAKE MY MONEY.

* * *

As Rei and I exited the shop, wearing our new stuff, we heard a scream from the center of town.

"WITCH! It's her! She's a witch! The Great Witch Bezella!" A random woman cried.

Wait. Witch…Espella costume…Bezella

*turning gears noise*

"Excuse me, sir?" I turned to a random dude, "Do you happen to know the name of this town?"

"Labyrinthia."

Rei and I fangirled for a moment before becoming serious again and running to the scene of a possible crime.

When we got there the Shepherds had the same idea and had gathered at the scene. I walked up to the possible victim, accused and another person, who Chrom was already talking to.

"What happened here?" Chrom asked calmly.

The farmer lady looked at the girl who was sprawled on the ground and then at the knight who had another woman's arms restrained, "I witnessed this girl use a curse on the unconscious one ove–."

"LIES!" The girl cried with a sort of British accent, "Are you just going to believe that because she's unconscious!"

"Silence!" A _female_ voice came from underneath the knight's helm, "You shall be put to the flame for your act of witchcraft!"

"Hold!" Chrom said, "You're seriously going to burn this woman because she supposedly performed witchcraft?! Magic is not an uncommon thing in these lands, for what reason should she be put to the flame then?!"

"No, you hold, prince," A woman stepped forward, "You have no power in these lands, nor will you ever. The exalt signed off this small portion of land to the creator of this town, Labyrinthia. The Storyteller has dominion here. What he says goes," The person turned to the knight, "Take her to the flames…"

"WAIT!" I heard Rei cry, "Will you at least try her in court?! I'm sure your "Storyteller" can't be that cruel!"

"No, even those who are sus–."

The cry of an owl interrupted the woman's sentence as it dropped a letter into his hands. She opened the letter and looked at the girl.

"Very well. The trial cannot be held without a defense…one of you must step forward to face me, the Inquisitor in court."

Robin, Rei and I stepped forward.

…

"There can be more than one person at the defense's desk, but only one is the true defender…"

I looked at Robin with puppy dog eyes and then at Rei. They both looked down in defeat.

"Let's hope you're as sharp as you say you are, Erin," Robin said as we, the Shepherds, accused, witnesses and victim, who had finally regained conscious, were escorted to the court along. Oh! This'll be so fun!

…

…

I hope I don't mess up too bad…

* * *

"We will now begin the trial of Ygritte Esselton. She has been charged with being a witch and using here witchcraft against a citizen of Labyrinthia. If the accused is not found guilty, we will conduct a search for the true culprit. The true culprit will be burned in her stead. If the accused is found to be guilty, she will be cast into the flames," The judge said as he sat in his bench, "Defense? Are you prepared?"

"Yes, Your Honor," I said proudly as both Robin and Rei pouted next to me.

"Inquisitor Stellaris, are you prepared?"

"The Iniquisition is ready," She said, "I do hope you're ready, defense."

"You'll be surprised at what we can achieve," I replied, "You should be the one checking if you're ready."

The judge nodded, "The Court Anna has provided us with an image of the crime scene with a snapshot tome. Thanks to her we never get anything wrong because of the Court Illustrator…." The judge glared at a bailiff, who shuddered involuntarily.

_He must have been the Court Illustrator…_

An Anna called from the back of the room, "No, you rock, Judge Ester! (Pfft! ESTER?! Hahahahaha!)" She paused for a minute, "That compliment will cost you one gold piece!"

…Classic Anna

"*ahem* Inquisitor, please call your first witness to the stand!"

"Yes, milord," Stellaris said, "I would like to call Peatrice Garnal to the witness stand!"

The farmer lady from before hobbled up to the Witches' Court-esque stand/bench.

"Witness, please being your testimony."

"Yes, Lady Stellaris," Cue sword crossing effect! _Schwing!_ "I was walking home after completing my daily routine in the market. I stopped at the bakery, sold fresh vegetables at the stalls and sold a few of my prized hens. Soon after, I entered the square only to witness a flash of purple and the victim falling to the ground and losing consciousness. My reaction was to scream as loud as my lungs would manage."

I tilted my head, "You screamed? Was that the scream I heard from the shop? Something along the lines of "WITCH! It's her! She's a witch! The Great Witch Bezella!"?"

The lady nodded, "Yes, I that is what I said."

I nodded, "And what was this flash of purple you say you saw?"

"Naturally, it was witchcraft! Only witchcraft can't take that color in raw magic energy! That's common knowledge for every Labyrinthian!"

Robin shook his head next to me, "We're not getting much from this witness…"

"No, there's one more bit you can press about," Rei muttered, "Ask about when the witness fell. The sequence of events. _Maybe that'll tip the scales in our favor and the final judgement will be hastened._"

"Good idea, Rei," I turned back to the witness, "Mrs. Garnal? You say that the light flashed before the victim fell? Are you absolutely sure that is the sequence of events?"

"Hm…Well…" Garnal hesitated, "Th-the victim fell to the ground after the light flashed! Yes! That's what happened!"

"Are you sure that's what happened?"

"That is clearly what happened."

Robin smirked as I said the next sentence, "Then you are clearly lying!"

The farmer was taken aback by my sudden statement, "W-what do you mean?!"

Oh! I told Robin about this and we're gonna make it work!

I signaled to Rei and Robin and we both spun on our heels before pointing at the witness, "Objection! There's a contradiction in your testimony!"

"Your Honor! The witness clearly does not know what exactly happened and when, therefore, their testimony is unreliable!"

"What?!" The judge asked, "And wherein lies that reason?"

"The witness stated in their testimony that the flash of light happened before the witness fell unconscious. When questioned further they stated the opposite order of events: the witness fell before the flash of light. This shows that the witness is unsure!"

*camera moves to the Shepherds, then to the accused, witness, defense and then…*

"Objection!"

* * *

**I don't care! That was so fun to write! I know. Testimony = really short and bland! But I couldn't resist doing this for the chapter! I just beat PF VS PW and my brain is like…*pshhwewewe* It was so beautiful! I laughed and cried through that wonderful ball of circuits and computer parts (?).**

**Can you determine who Rei's zodiac is? I dropped a few hints. Who's this Vaatu?! Raava?! Those names...haven't we heard them elsewhere? What's this Labyrinthia? Who's this Storyteller?! Find out next time! (Maybe! Labyrinthia is going to be an in and out thing.)**

**This should be wrapped up in the next chap, along with a bit of the journey to Ferox. And then I might do the Thanksgiving special. Maybe. I said a big FU to the dates! So I'll have to wait a bit to catch up…Meh. It comes out when it comes out. **

…

**I have so much planned for the Christmas one…Okay more like an outline. But. I. Can't. Wait.**

**Here's a preview**

"**Have a Merry ****ing Christmas!"**

**... And maybe some Mean Girls references...Catch my drift? Cuz I sure don't **

**…**

**….**

**….**

**That is all.**

**Again.**

**I have NO regrets!**

**If you would like, please leave a review. Please point out any mistakes I might have made. I'm not the most grammatically correct person in the world! ...Better than m-*Shot***


	6. Chapter 6: Turnabout Witches! Part 2

**(What is going on in my mind right now) *plays I LIKE TRAINS***

**Thanks. That was a look into the mind of Tcc…..*cough***

**Oh! I cannot wait! The Courtroom action continues! ….It may or may not involve a priest and me questioning my faith…*Looks back a few years* THANK GOD THAT'S OVER. **

**That meaning religion. **

…

…

LINEBREAK

**Chapter 6: Turnabout Witches?! Part 2**

"Objection!" What could be if Barnham and Darklaw had a baby, Stellaris, slammed her gauntleted arm on the desk. She then continued to shake her head, "Witness! Is this true? Do you not know the order of events?"

"…." Peatrice remained silent.

I sighed, "Mrs. Garnal?"

"…Y-yes! I remember now!"

"Remember what _exactly_, pray tell?"

"The flash happened after the victim fell to the ground!" Stellaris frowned at Garnal's statement, "The experience was quite traumatic…It simply slipped my mind…"

The judge nodded, "Such an experience would terrify anyone, witness. Please amend your testimony."

_...REALLY?! Judge! Dude! Don't get sympathetic!_

Garnal nodded, "I was walking home after completing my daily routine in the market. I stopped at the bakery, sold fresh vegetables at the stalls and sold a few of my prized hens. Soon after, I entered the square only to witness the victim falling to the ground, unconscious before a purple light flashed. My initial reaction was to scream as loud as my lungs would manage."

Robin turned to me and said, "There's something there, I can almost grasp it, but what is it exactly…."

"Really?" I asked, "Maybe something with the victim?"

"Y-yes! That's it! Ask about where the witness and accused were during the crime!"

Rei nodded, "That's bound to be the key to _tipping the scales in our favor_!"

"…Rei?" I asked my friend, "What's with you and making all these weird scale and judgment related phrases or whatever lately?"

She shrugged, "I guess I just got this thing for scales and judgment…"

"Defender!" The judge bellowed, "Enough with the chitchat!"

"Y-yes, Your Honor!" I said meekly.

Stellaris smirked, "It seems that….What's your name, defender?"

"Erin Fedelta, Shepherd of Ylisse."

"Well, Ms. Fedelta, it seems that the defense isn't prepared…Even chatting amongst themselves!"

I made sure my face betrayed no emotion. My mind however…

_OFMG! THAT BITCH! YOU UNDERESTIMATING ME?! YOU WANNA GO?!_

…was another story.

"I assure you, Inquisitor Stellaris, the defense is more than ready," I looked to the stands and spotted some of the Shepherds before turning to the witness, "Ma'am, do you happen to know where the other witnesses were at the scene of the crime?"

Garnal shook her head, "I'm afraid I don't recall…Perhaps if I had a map or something to mark my location on?"

Stellaris nodded, "Your Honor, the Inquisition would like to present a map of the area."

"Permission granted," The Judge Ester said.

She pulled a rolled up piece of parchment, "This here, witness, is a map of the square. Could you please mark your location and the location of the other people that were in the area on here?" Garnal took the parchment and marked the spots, "Accused? Mark your location as well." Ygritte silently nodded and received the parchment from Garnal and quickly scratched in her location.

The map was given back to the Inquisitor, so she could look at it, before she passed it down to us.

I pushed it over to Robin, "Mr. Tactician, maps are your thing, look away!"

"…How is that even relevant?" He sighed, "Why are you even defending someone in court? Who in their right mind would hire you as their attorney?"

"…Someone who doesn't want to be burned to death?"

"All the more reason not to!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Hey…Something doesn't add up here…." Robin pointed at the accused's position.

Rei and I peered closer at the map as Rei said, "Oh yeah! You're right!"

The judge turned his attention to us, "If you will not participate and chat amongst yourselves, you will be removed from this court and the accused will be cast into the flames…."

I looked up from the map, "Your Honor, we found something that contradicts a very vital piece of evidence!"

_See! We aren't "chatting amongst ourselves!"_

"…Oh? And what would that be?"

I brought the map over to the judge because this isn't the game and no one can look at the same exact piece of evidence at the same exact time, "Look closely at the accused's position. The accused is to the left of the victim, if a spell was used it would most definitely hit the victim. But! There is one thing stopping that from happening," I pointed at the knight that stood in between the victim and the accused, "The knight."

The judge's eyes widened, "Inquisitor! Did you know of this?"

"N-no, Your Honor! This is the first that I am hearing of this! I hadn't even known that the knight was a witness," Stellaris stammered.

"I will overlook this for now….Bailiff! Find that knight!"

* * *

"Witness, state your name and occupation," Stellaris said to the knight.

_Is it necessary for the knight to state an occupation?! We can all tell that they're a knight!_

"Certainly," The knight said through their helmet in a seemingly fake low voice, "My name is Mel Spechimen and I am part of the Knights of Inquisition."

…"_Mel Spechimen?" More like Male Specimen, am I right? ….Wait. I don't think…_

I looked closely at the witness. They wore a stupid cloak that was clipped to the front of their armor so I couldn't tell their gender from the design of the armor…

_Meh…It's probably not important…_

Stellaris nodded, "Honorable knight, please begin your testimony."

The knight saluted, "I was performing my usual patrol of the town square when I met the victim. She was a kind girl. I would be the first see her every day in the square selling flowers during my patrol. As usual we would exchange a greeting and I would be off to continue. This day was different however, our usually greeting was interrupted by that witch attacking her."

"I assume that you're referring to the defendant?"

"Yes, Inquisitor."

The judge nodded, "Defense, you may start your interrogation."

"Ask about the meeting," Rei suggested.

"You were patrolling at the time the incident took place?" I asked the knight.

"Yes, it was my usually noon patrol."

"And you say that you are the first to meet her every day? Is there a reason why you are always the first to see the victim?"

"The town square gate is closed until noon since the caretakers are cleaning, tending to the gardens and feeding the animals that live there," The knight explained, "I meet the victim every morning at the gate to open in for her."

"I see…That makes sense," I paused and though before continuing

…_Wait. I remember now! The knight at the scene had a female voice and this should be that same knight!_

"And one more thing. Can you please clarify your gender witness?"

The witness winced and removed her helmet.

Everyone in the gallery gasped and began murmuring as they realized "Male Specimen" was a girl. Pfft.

"Order! Order in the court!" The judge said before let himself look surprised, "Witness, is there a reason why you didn't share your gender with the court?"

"….I never really thought that it posed a problem and was obvious," She said in the same low/croaky voice, "I'm simply getting over a bad cold…" before clearing her throat.

_Excuses!_

"Yes, and while we're on the topic," Stellaris said, "I'd like to bring in a second witness at this time."

_...I HATED that so much in the game…Oh gods…_

The judged nodded and a priest entered the room.

"Begin your group testimony," Stellaris said before turning and noticing my look of annoyance, "What is it, Ms. Fedelta? Are _two_ witnesses at once too much for you to handle?"

"Oh, on the contrary! I was worried you might slip up and make me have too easy a victory!"

The knight stated her testimony again before the priest spoke up.

"I was in the square on my way to the temple. It was routine. Usually I would be there about a minute or so after the knight opened the gate. I would then greet the flower girl and Ms. Mel. But this cursed morning the girl, Naga bless her, was knocked unconscious. I did witness the flash of light…but there was something else. It seemed as if the spell was used for a purpose other than harming the girl."

Robin leaned forward, "Father, what do you mean 'It seemed as if the spell was used for a purpose other than harming the girl?' What exactly did you see?"

I smiled.

_Good 'eye,' Robin!_

The holy man tilted his head in thought, "What exactly did I see? Hm…Well, other than the flash that occurred after the girl fell, I saw something glint in the sunlight. Metal maybe? Or was it Naga's divine intervention?"

…_Who concealed their gender and is wearing armor?_

…

…

I need definitive proof though…

"Father," I said to the priest, "Do you truly believe that it was Naga's 'divine intervention?'"

"Of course! You're not a spiritual one, are you, child?"

"I wouldn't call it that, Father…"

* * *

Flashback….

A teacher was in the middle of a lecture. One about…religion.

"All the proof is in here. In this bible. Proof that God created us all…"

Being the smart aleck I am, I decided to question said teacher, "Um…I know we're here to learn religion and stuff…but what if that book was written by some loon who wanted people to believe in some overlord? I mean, God could exist, but he could also not, right? I'm not trying to be THAT person but….How exactly do we know that that book is proof? As human beings, we're supposed to question things and beliefs…I can't explain it…"

The room remained awkwardly silent…

"Like, why'd he make us do this stupid workbook for Confirmation?!"

…

The room erupted in laughter.

"…Just keep doing what you're doing, Ms. Fedelta…." The teacher murmured.

"YES, SIR! RELIGION TEACHER, SIR!" I yelled and saluted smartly.

Flashback end…

* * *

"…Defense….Defense!"

"YES, SIR! JUDGE ESTER, SIR!"

The whole gallery sweatdropped.

The judge sighed and offered a reluctant smile…SCORING POINTS!

* * *

We sat in the trial for about another hour…BOOORING! Why'd I agree to this?!

….

….

Robin immediately jumped up in his spot and turned to Rei and me, "I've got it! Present this," He picked up the purple gem that we had received as evidence a while ago. When touched and used it would leave an almost permanent purple residue on any surface that isn't skin… "Present it to Ms. Mel. Do that, and we have this trial in the bag!"

"…Robin! You tactical genius you!" I gave him a friend hug and turned to face the judge and prosecution, "Your Honor, the defense would like to present evidence that the defendant is not guilty and that someone else is!"

The judge narrowed his eyes, readying his hammer…sorry, _gavel_, "Oh, and who's the true culprit?"

…Rei, Robin and I pulled another 'Objection!' pose and pointed at….

"Your Honor, the true culprit is none other than….."

…

….

…..

"Ms. Mel Spechimen!"

"…." The accused remained silent, "…Father, I would like to repent for my sins…"

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

She's admitting it?!

The priest turned and looked at the knight in surprise, "Y-you mean….?"

"Wi–Accused, please explain!" The judge demanded.

"Yes, Milord," She bowed her head, "I was worried that my beloved was seeing Ms. Flora Fauna. As a Knight of Inquisition I shouldn't have let my anger at that possibility get to me. That spell I used was a teleportation spell. I originally set out to…get rid of the victim, but came to my senses right before I landed the final blow. I'm willing take the befitting and all punishments for my dishonorable actions…"

She bowed again before she was surrounded by a circle of mages that were all holding Fire tomes.

"….And so the accused had been proven Not Guilty and in this turn of events, Ms. Mel Spechimen shall be burned my fire for a more painful and slow demise as requested by herself," The judge said and brought his hammer down, signaling the mages to fire…

There were no screams, no wails of pain…Not even the smell of burning flesh. Rei was nowhere to be found.

…

Rei? Where'd she go?!

…

"LIBRA IUDICIUM!" I heard Rei yell as some form of yellow, spherical force field formed around her and the knight.

….

….

….

WTF.

Oh…Now Chrom's down there…

"Stand down! This is not a fair trial!" Chrom yelled angrily as Rei's force field dissipated, Falchion drawn while he stood in a defensive position, "This is no form of fair punishment. The exalt would want this to be settled peacefully!"

"Prince Chrom, what is the meaning of this?! You nor your sister have power in these lands!"

"If Emmeryn heard of this, she'd take away the 'Storyteller's' land! It's as simple as that. Let Ms. Mel go, banish her if you will, but if you harm her in anyway, we will resort to violence!"

The mages fired again.

"IT'S NOT WORKING!" Rei yelled in panic, "WHAAAT THE ACTUAL–"

"Rei!" I yelled as I ran into the line of fire without thinking.

All the sudden I got a weird feeling, like I could pull something off that's similar to what Rei did. What was it exactly?!

"ERIN! WHAT ARE YOU–?!" Chrom yelled as the flames neared.

I processed the scene in slow motion as I yelled something out…

"AQUARIUS AMOR! PROCELLAE!" (That was not a typo)

A mixture of air and water surrounded us and shot outwards as the blasts hit, soaking everyone, but us to the skin.

"Well, that was refreshing," Rei said.

"Hey! That's my line!" I pouted.

"Guards! Get them!" The judge roared.

Chrom looked around frantically for an exit before spotting one and yelling, "Shepherds! Retreat!"

I looked at Mel, "Hey! Mel! Better run, eh?"

She smiled shyly before muttering, "Yo ho, yo ho…It's a Shepherd's life for me…" before we ran after our group.

* * *

We had all gotten the caravan, horse and convoy and immediately fled from the village. That was certainly one helluva ride! It was like any old chase from any movie. Like Aladdin…

But the biggest mystery is how the town got here. It didn't look like it was governed by stories…Maybe the people had some freedom? Still, something seemed off. I can't explain it, but it did.

I looked back towards the village as I walked beside the caravan. I gasped at what I saw. It was _gone_. It was like it never existed in the first place…I could feel the memories of it slowly slipping away as well, becoming blurred, but still there, just altered. Even Mel was gone. Though one thing was still clear to me. Rei and I had done something. Something out of the norm. Something…odd.

I decided to let go of the feeling as Chrom walked up to me. From the way he held Falchion, I could tell it was dire. How? It's pretty easy to catch onto his habits after a week. Rei, Brandon and I have this secret book with traits listed for each Shepherd. We have this plan too….But you'll hear about that later.

"Erin?"

"What is it, Princey?" I asked.

"What you did back there…What was that?"

"Oh…That? I'm not quite certain myself. I don't even think I could do it again…" I shrugged, "So how'd we do back in that trial? I felt like I'd send Ms. Ygritte to the flames any second by accident…"

Chrom sighed, "So you don't know what you did? ...Anyway, what you, Robin and Rei did back there was…heroic in a sense."

"Heroic?" I said as I crossed my arms, "Really? I thought that was your job, O Fearless Leader."

"I mean it. It takes a sharp mind (And many, many Phoenix Wright games) to defend someone in such a way."

"Nah, it was all Robin and Rei. I just did all the talking and made them do cool poses!" I said with a laugh, "….Just like when we were home…." I said sadly before forcing a smile, "A-anyway…What can you tell me about Labyrinthia?"

"Not much. It was abandoned long before the Hero-King Marth was even thought of. Wiped off the map."

"Weren't we _just_ there? Didn't Emmeryn give the Storyteller that land?"

"Where? What land?"

"Labyrinthia?"

"What?"

What?

…

What land?

...

Where'd I get these clothes?!

…

Am I forgetting something here?

_Meh. Must be nothing._

I thought as I continued to march near the prince.

* * *

**No! It is not over yet! This is a change of scenario/character PoV note that will happen after the main part of the chapter is over!**

**And so the mystery of Labyrinthia comes to a close as our heroes lose all memory of it. What is the cause of such a thing? What exactly happened in that courtroom? Find out next time! **

* * *

Libra and Aquarius stood from their respective thrones and flashed out of the room, meeting where the desert met the ocean. This spot was their usual place to go when they were to speak privately. No Zodiac could enter the area uninvited.

"So...Our Hosts have realized their true power," Libra murmured, "Judgment day will soon arrive."

"Not for a while, Sister," Aquarius said as she looked out across the ocean, "Still, the ranks of our lost brothers and sisters need to be filled."

"By whom?"

"Normally, the Host is chosen by their birthday, as well as strength, skill and mental capacity," She turned back to her sibling, "Although, now drastic measures must be taken,"

"You mean you're going to choose _him_ in order to bring your beloved back?"

"Yes, he has enough courage, strength and skill. His mental capacity could be laughed at, though _his_ never was…It isn't as big as the other Hosts," Aquarius sighed, "but I need him by my side. We would always lead together, it's hard to do without him."

"I understand, Sister. What of the other Zodiacs?"

"They will all be chosen in time…"

"We must be hasty, Vaatu could awaken Grima soon."

Aquarius shook her head, "No, he doesn't have that power. He'll need help from….an…avatar."

* * *

**Lucas's PoV**

Olivia and I had just finished a dance routine for the West Khan. He loved those way too much. Though I think he only watched them because of Olivia…

Anyway, it was a typical morning. Dance for the khan and then other stuff. I know. Our life wasn't very eventful yet. The war hadn't started since the tournament hasn't happened yet. That means Lucina hasn't visited the khan and all that.

Normally I would spend my day in the library trying to find out as much about this world as I could. Other than that maybe I'd learn how to cook, Olivia insisted, or I'd teach her how to not be so shy. Fortunately, it seemed to work. Unfortunately, it only worked with me.

Currently, we were cleaning up the pasta sauce that I somehow made explode by some twisted miracle. I swear, these gods _hate_ me.

That's when Basilio comes barging in.

"Hey! You won't believe who just knocked Lon'qu flat on his back! Meet 'Marth,' West Ferox's new champion!" He smiled broadly as 'Marth' stood behind him before looking at the state of the castle's kitchen, "What did you make explode this time?"

Olivia sighed, "Well, Lucas made pasta sauce explode somehow…I don't understand how someone could be so ungifted…." She immediately covered her mouth, "S-sorry!"

"…It's all right, Olivia. It's unfortunately true…" I said.

_At least it isn't as bad as Sully's…I hope…_

"Hm…Get some drinks ready! This week, we celebrate! Our new champion and the coming up tournament!" Basilio guffawed before leaving the kitchen.

"It's going to be a long night. I'm probably going to be stuck with clearing everyone out. Since I don't drink…" I sighed before turning back to the mess.

"…You and me both…I'll probably be hiding actually. Basilio and his drunk friends get a bit frisky sometimes…" Olivia murmured.

"Don't worry Olivia. I'll keep you safe…" I muttered subconsciously.

Olivia just 'meeped' at this.

* * *

**Dylan's PoV**

"_Welcome to Ylisse, Dylan."_

Huh? Who the hell is this? Where am I? And what did they do to my copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening?!

"_My name is Ate. Don't worry it'll only be like that while you're in Ylisse."_

Okay…Still…What did you do to it?!

"_Each person gets their own story within their copies. In order to verify that it's yours though, you must scan your finger. Once it begins it will show you your first encounter with the Shepherds, but only _after_ it happens. You will also be able to check in on the other heroes' stories if you go to the 'Friends' menu."_

O-other heroes?! You mean, I'm not the only one here?! Why am I here?!

"_I'm afraid I can't tell you all that yet…"_

What do you mean you can't tell me anything?!

The screen flashed off as I heard footsteps behind me. I quickly stowed the small, fragile system before whirling around to see a very familiar woman.

"What are you doing here, stranger? These grounds are the training grounds for East Ferox's finest. All intruders will be dealt with accordingly," She reached for a silver sword.

"Woah, woah. Please put the sword down," She stopped moving her arm and narrowed her eyes, "I've…uh…come here to participate in the tournament. I apologize for intruding, but I'm not from here. So naturally, I'm a bit lost."

"Well, you're in the right place, stranger. I'm Flavia, the East Khan of Ferox."

"My name's Dylan. Nice to meet you, Khan Flavia."

Flavia smiled, "Ha! Flavia, will be fine, Dylan," She began to walk towards the palace that was behind the training grounds, "Aren't you coming? You said you wanted to partake in the tournament. Let's see what you've got! Maybe you have the makings of a champion!"

* * *

**? PoV**

"SHE IS THE ONE…..!"

…

…

…

"SAILOR MOON!"

"AGH!" My twin screamed.

"…Chillax, Severa! I'm just adding a little levity to the air!"

"By singing the Sailor Moon theme?! I don't care if your name is Serena! Father shouldn't have taught you that song!"

"Yowch, Sis. Can you be calm for one second?!"

_Here comes tsuntsun…_

"Hmph…" She hmphed, "Mother was always calm…Stop trying to be like her, Serena! You even decided to become a pegasus knight!"

_And now comes deredere…_

"I mean it'd be all right if you did! But I wouldn't care!"

"Whatever you say, Sev."

"Do you think I'm lying?!"

"…Aren't you just a ray of sunshine," I said. There was no need to put a question mark at the end of that sentence. It's too true...

* * *

**I really ran out of ideas for this chapter. I didn't really want to progress much with the story either, just introduce some characters. I have **_**one**_** slot open for an OC. I will only accept a _female_ one that's sent by _PM_ this time around. I need to level it out and non-PMing is such a hassle. Their Zodiac can either be Virgo or Scorpio.**

**I mean no religious offense! I'm just a person who questions everything. I do truly believe and all that!**

**Aquarius Amor! Procellae! : Roughly translates to 'Aquarius's Love! Hurricane! Which is sort of like Nayru's Love in Smash.**

**Libra Iudicium: Roughly translates to Libra's Judgment. Basically like...I dunno...Oh! Spiky Shield...I think that's Chesnaught's move in X and Y. Except it isn't spiky.**

**Elements:**

**Aquarius - Air/Water**

**Libra - Earth/Fire**


	7. Chapter 7: Halloween Special

**OSKAODAWODKAOWDK. Halloween special is here! 5 days 'til Halloween and….I'm just so excited for this idea I have!**

**Anyway…I really have nothing else to say here….Oh well. This chapter is a special and is not completely relevant with the story. Meaning that some extras will be in there including Cordelia and Maribelle. For purposes! **

**Please R&amp;R!**

* * *

"So…." I turned to Frederick, "Where are we?"

We had come upon this manor on the way to Ferox. In one word it was big, that's a given. Although spooky would be more fitting. In a way it reminded me of both the Snowpeak Ruins from Twilight Princess and The Manor of Lost Souls that you/we'll find Nah in.

"Le Manoir des Amants Perdus," Frederick simply said.

We were here because we needed shelter from the storm and a place to rest. Honestly, I thought this was a good idea until we entered. I'm just getting this haunted house feeling and something else is making this all a lot worse than it has to be. Still; I'm grateful for the shelter and warmth.

"This place puts the 'creep' in 'creepy'…." Rei said, choosing to clutch Brandon's arm this time around.

"Rei, let go!" He struggled.

"Nu!"

"Nothing's going to happen, Rei," Chrom muttered.

Stop trying to be brave Chrom; we can all see that you're reaching for Falchion.

"Yes, the appearance of supernatural activity is highly improbable," Miriel said.

Sumia shuddered, "B-but what if something does happen?"

"Nothing ol' Teach can't handle!" Vaike said, "I keep ya'll safe!"

"I highly doubt that, Vaike," I said, "It takes strength and wits in equal measure to beat a foe like a ghost or monster. And frankly, you're a bit of a dunce."

"Hey! Don't doubt the Va–!"

The door slammed behind us the somehow lit candles blew out. A scream was heard. It sounded a lot like mine, but I know I didn't even make a sound.

"G-guys?" Stahl said, "My stomach has a bad feeling about this!"

"Your stomach always has a weird feeling, Stahl! You're always hungry!" Rei screamed.

"Stahl's right," Frederick murmured, "Something seems incredibly odd about this place."

"What did you say this place was called, Freddy?" Rei asked.

"Don't–Ahem. It's called Le Manoir des Amoureux Échangés,"

"That sounds French…Damnit! I can't remember what I learned in that class!"

"Class?" Chrom asked, "I hadn't heard of that language before now. Who taught you it?"

"….Um. My teacher?"

I facepalmed, "No shit, Sherlock."

"Oh? Well exc–!"

"SHH!" Sumia said, "I can hear something!"

Everyone remained silent as the sound of creaking wood became louder and louder until it was seemingly right behind us. A chill ran down my spine as I felt someone breathing on my neck. It's just Rei….right?

"E-Erin! S-stop breathing on my neck!" Rei yelped.

"That isn't me! Do you guys feel that?"

"On three we turn around," Robin said, "One, two, thr–."

Something blunt hit me on the back of the head and I immediately crumpled to the floor, losing consciousness. Through it all, I think I vaguely heard the rest of the Shepherds meet the same fate.

* * *

"AHHH" I screamed as I woke.

Wait…

That wasn't my scream.

…

…

That lights are back on! Now to get out of–

Why am I lying on the floor over there when I'm right here?

…

…

…

I reached over and poked 'myself' before jumping back and screaming again.

I saw 'myself' and the other Shepherds stir.

"By the gods, milord…" Sully said, "It isn't fitting for the prince of the Halidom to scream like that…"

"Yeah, jeez, Captain!" Frederick said, "You scream like a girl!"

…

…

…

"…Is there a reason why I see myself?" Rei asked.

"I dunno, Rei…"

…My voice sounds different…

…

…

…

"OH MY GODS! I'M A DUDE!"

"Of course you are, Chrom!" 'Miriel' said, "Has my rival lost it?"

"I'M NOT CHROM, MIRIEL!"

"…T-Teach isn't Miriel!"

"I think the correct was to name the situation is to say that the improbable has come true," 'Vaike' said, "Our bodily structures have been…reciprocated…"

"That's the reason why I'm in this lowborn (Where the hell did Mari come from?!) brute's body?!" 'Robin' exclaimed.

"HEY! Don't insult the tactician who leads you into battle!" 'Maribelle' said evilly, whacking her parasol lightly in against her hand.

"I'll take what's mine, Robin!" Robin-Maribelle made a grab for his parasol. (Body-Person. His or her depending on the body's gender)

"Well…" Me-someone decided to speak up, "That's solved…Now who's who?!"

Turns out (thankfully) that everyone was just simply swapped, not mixed up. Meaning that Vaike is Miriel and Miriel is Vaike; not Vaike is Sumia and Miriel is Vaike. Got that? I sure don't.

…

…

…

…

…

"GAAAHHHHH!" Me-Chrom yelled, "Why does everything hurt?!"

"…PFFT," I laughed as he well to the ground, "Looks like Chromina's on her time…"

"…You witch!"

"Can't help it! It's nature's wonderful cycle!"

"Y-you do this? Every month?!"

"Meh…It takes a certain level of badass to survive…" I laughed silently before looking around, "Hey…Where are the others?"

"What, Eren?" She asked.

"Hey! It's Erin!"

"Oh, so you can call me Chromina; but I can't call you anything else?!"

"Yup!"

Chromina rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say…Eren…"

We eventually found a passage and decided to follow it in hope of finding the other Shepherds. It was dark and spooky and…spooky and dark…I'm not a big fan of the horror genre. I couldn't sit through Sphere without ducking behind a pillow…Those jump scares.

In short; I'm somewhere in between wetting myself and having a conniption.

…

…

And now I really do have to use the damn restroom. Frick.

…

…

"What's with the face?" Chromina asked.

"…I'm currently trying to keep you from wetting yourself…."

"…"

"…"

"…"

…

"Now that I think about it…." I murmured, "This is all your fault…Just had to use the spooky mansion as shelter, huh?"

"My fault?"

"We could've used the tents, but nooo we had to break into a mansion!" I whined, "Like, who does that?!"

"We didn't break in! The doors were unlocked!" Chromina protested.

"Isn't that still considered breaking and entering?! We technically entered without permission!"

"…I hate your technicality…"

"I hate having to be in here," I replied, "But we can't have everything we want handed to us, eh?"

Chromina winced.

_Woooops. Looks like I….struck a chord? Is that how that phrase/expression/whatever works? Meh…I'll just act clueless now._

"Did I say something?" I tilted my head, "'Fraid I'm a bit spontaneous sometimes–,"

_Or is that from being in Chrom's head?! Oh gods…_

"–and don't think things through. I apologize if I said anything; I can be such a ditz…"

"N-no, you didn't," Chromina offered a reluctant smile.

* * *

**Rei's PoV**

"AHHH! I'M A DUDE TOO!" I screamed and looked around, realizing that everyone, but my double was gone, "Hey! Where'd everyone go?!"

My double raised her head, "…Food?"

"…Stahllia?"

"…Reinold?"

"Okay…WHERE'S EVERYONE?!" I looked around frantically, "…I'm starving…"

"Welcome to my world…"

"Damn. Must be hard…"

I spotted a corridor and motioned Stahllia to it.

"Are you sure going down there is a good idea?" She asked.

"Don't worry, I gotcha covered!" I chirped before skipped awkwardly down the hall, "I love horror!"

"…So that's what me being cheerful looks like…" I heard Stahllia mutter before she began to follow me.

* * *

**Brandon's PoV**

Where did Cordelia come from?! I mean, she wasn't here before and doesn't come until Chapter 7: Incursion…

…

I'm such a nerd. I can't believe I remembered that.

"So…Cordelio? Where'd you come from?"

"Cordelio? …Never mind. Um…I don't know. I think Captain Phila sent me here to…It's slipped my mind, Brandy..."

"Well, what matters now is getting to the others. Let's just focus on finding them…"

_I'm in Cordelia's body…Oh my gods…_

"Are you all right? You look feverish!" Cordelio said.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all!" I pointed towards a random corridor and pushed him towards it, "L-let's go this way!"

"Am I really like that…? I need to fix that…" Cordelia murmured as we made our way down the corridor.

* * *

**Lucas's PoV**

"Oliver?" I asked Me-Olivia, "You see the scary monsters too, right?"

"Y-yes, L-Lucille! A-are those R-Risen?!"

Thankfully, they hadn't noticed us yet.

…

"Wait…What are we even doing here?" I asked.

"I-I d-dunno!" He continued to stutter.

I facepalmed. She/He's making me sound like a spluttering mess. No offense Oliver, but I'm embarrassed for both of us.

"Calm down."

He continued to shake in fear.

"Do you want me to hold your hand?" I offered.

He nodded slowly and I held it. Anything to help Oliver feel comfortable I suppose.

* * *

**Olivia's PoV**

_All part of my elaborate plan! _

* * *

**Kellam's PoV**

….

….

"The curse didn't even notice me…Forgotten again…"

* * *

**Dylan's PoV**

"Wow...This place really lacks rainbows and sunshine!" I muttered, half-sarcastically.

"Heh heheheheehehehehhhh!" I turned and saw my double…When did I have pale skin?!

I looked down… "This isn't my body…"

"Now that I have a double, I can perform experiments!" The other person exclaimed…with glee.

I did the first think I could think of since my weapon was on that other person. I bolted.

…

And they followed. Of course. Frick.

* * *

**? PoV**

….

…..

Who's this weirdo with the crows next to me?!

"BLOOD! RISEN!" He smiled maniacally as I just facepalmed.

Great. I'm stuck with a combat masochist!

* * *

**? PoV**

"I'll make sure to give you a mighty fine deal for this spell tag!"

"…"

"Come on! A girl's gotta make a little money!"

"…"

"…"

"Why am I offering myself merch? Since when was I a she?!"

"…You aren't one of my relatives?"

"…No."

"Oh. Well. This is awkward."

….

….

….

"ANNA AWAY!"

"HEY! WAIT! THAT'S MY BODY YOU'RE IN!"

* * *

**Third Person**

One by one the Shepherds worked their way to the center. The first group to enter was the one consisting of Chromina and Eren; followed by Reinold and Stahllia. Reinold then attacked his best friend, Eren, trying to eat him because of the lack of food. It didn't work well because Eren just so happened to have the dull Falchion in his hands.

"Umm….Chromina?" He asked, "That's odd…So only one with your _soul_ could wield it?"

"Apparently, the spirit of Mila rests within the ancient blade. So, yes, she chooses her wielders' spirits and creates a bond."

"Well, damn. How did Falchion end up here though? Didn't those people in Valencia own….Oh…right. Hero-King Marth had it! I'm so stupid sometimes!"

Reinold sighed, "Only you, Eren, only you."

As the two groups conversed; the rest of the Shepherds made it to the center. Gaius, who shouldn't be there, tripped, making the surrounding people think he was Sumia. The thief simply stood, sighed and dusted himself off. A few seconds later, three unknown newcomers entered, along with three more future Shepherds that certainly did not belong.

Since it was dark, Eren couldn't tell who these three newcomers were or what they looked like; however what he could see was that there were two guys and a girl.

He continued to ponder what exactly was going on until he was disturbed by a violent quake. Soon Risen rose up from the floors of the mansion, accompanied by some skeleton like monster and wolves made of flame. The Shepherds were certainly outnumbered, but they had defeated more than this and with the added help they were sure to prevail.

"Chromina! Catch!" He tossed her the sword, which she caught and held out awkwardly.

Due to the difference in her size and the weight of the sword she had to adjust her stance, which was hard since her normal one had taken years to perfect.

"Nya ha hah hah!" An annoying little voice laughed, "Looks like we've hit a _dead_ end. I hate to be _crypt_ic about it, but we may be feeling more than _Chrom-_nic pain!"

_That made no sense!_ Eren thought, _He used the word cryptic wrong!_

"THAT WAS HORRIBLE!" Everyone said simultaneously.

"Nya ha! Then how about this?!" 'She' turned to a Risen and fired some crows and dark magic at it, "CAW! CAW! MOTHERFLUXER!"

The crowd 'meh-ed' before beginning to attack the Risen.

"Reinold!" Eren called to his bestie, "Ninja mode! GO!

"All ready on it!" Reinold jumped and dropkicked a Risen in the face before his friend came in with a punch that sent it flying right into one of the newcomers' ranges. 'She,' who had switched with a dark mage, fire a thunder spell before slitting its throat with an iron blade.

The fight continued for a short while longer. After all the fighting was over, the mansion creaked before beginning to crumble. Bits and pieces came crashing down and hitting the Shepherds one by one….

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

My scream filled the air, as did every Shepherd's. Except for Frederick. He's too boss. That was one hell of a nightmare! If you'd call it that. Whatever deity of this universe is _horrible_ at horror. Humor is pretty bad too, but horror is a lot worse.

I let out a sigh and leaned forward in the bedroll as Rei cheered happily.

"I got it guys!" The Shepherds turned their attention to Rei, "This mansion is roughly translated to the Manor of Lost Lovers…Odd name isn't it?"

I leaned over and whispered to Rei, "You Google Translated it didn't you?"

"Yeah…When I popped it in at first it said something about sex and affairs….like the word amorous. And then I was like screw it and fiddled with it until I got a reasonable answer."

"Le Manoir des Amants Perdus….Huh…"

"There isn't supposed to be capitals in it either or it messes up the whole translation…"

"Hm…Good to know…"

…

…

…

The Manor of Lost Lovers….? Reminds me of RomeoXJuliet for some reason. Is there something more to this mansion than we know?

There was.

What I didn't know was that each Shepherd had the same dream….

* * *

**OKAY! THERE SHALL BE PROGRESSION! I apologize for the lack of movement within the story. I just didn't want to get every chapter last for one story chapter. So I thought..**_**Oh hey! Side quests! Oh hey! Halloween Special!**_** You can see how it went from there. So instead of a full chapter of Halloween, I'm going to have the story progress! Down below!**

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Still…Where'd I get there clothes?

I had been pondering that for the past three days. As if that's the most important problem in the world. I tend to make the tiniest things the biggest problems. I can be weird like that. Like I'd overthink. Still; even the littlest things make an impact.

How is any of this relevant? I apologize for my frequent tangents. I really need to work on _not _doing that.

We had slowly been picking our way through the icy mountains and tree filled landscape of Northern Ylisse. On the way there was little trouble with brigands and some very interesting predicaments. I started a prank war with Lissa. I used to be unprankable, but now this little princess has stepped into the picture. Robin had scolded us countless times. That was until Lissa had pulled the ultimate cold water/ bath prank on him. It was totally worth getting sent to death in the next battle.

Speaking of next battle…That would probably be at the Longfort, right? With Raimi and those people? Sumia would then come to the rescue with her pegasus; who I had insisted she'd name Lovebirds. …That cutscene title could have a different meaning and I'm going to believe it and not that they're adding to the fact that they're shoving Chromia down our throats!

"Hey? Chrom?" Robin asked the lord of the year, "That's Longfort, right?"

"Yes," Chrom replied, "It's guarded by East Ferox's finest."

"Are you sure East Ferox's finest will let us into their country unhindered?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Chrom sighed, "Negotiation has never been my strong suit…."

I waltzed forwards with Rei, "Princey, you can handle it. They're a country filled with warriors. They'll probably want to talk about men and men stuff….Ya know what I mean, Rei?" I turned to my petite friend.

"You just stereotyped a whole country…" She murmured, "Hey, Captain?"

"Yeah?"

"If they attack us; can I blow them up?" She raised her Fire tome and cackled maniaclly.

Chrom remained silent as Robin facepalmed and Frederick (who came out of nowhere) glared at Rei.

"Of course not, Rei!" I said, "Don't kill our possible future allies! And if you blow them up with fire, they'll stereotype Ylisse as a country of pyromaniacs who double as demolitionists!"

I remained silent as Chrom began to look very uncomfortable and even squirmed a bit…

"…OH. MY. GODS. It's true?! You're demolition experts?!" I asked and continued to giggle maniacally as I thought of blowing stu- "AH! Rei's gotten into my head!"

"Oh no…" Robin muttered, "Looks like we'll have to dispose of this test subject too…."

"WHAAAT?!"

* * *

After nearly an hour of slap therapy from Rei, I'm ready to go! I'ma gonna take on these warriors and I'ma gonna win! It'sa gonna be so fun!

…

That's my Mario impersonation…

Anyway, we had just approached the base of the ginormous fort.

…

…

And then we were spotted.

"Hold there! Move one more step and you'll die where you stand, brigand!" Raimi yelled from the top of the fort.

Next to her was a dude I had never seen before. He was tall. About six feet. His hair was dirty blonde and….I can't really see from here, so I'll make a wild assumption and say he has blue eyes. Maybe blue-green? I'm just going from most blondes that I've seen. Rei for example.

He also wore something similar to that dude from Assassin's Creed….Um…

Brandon, the god of freaking kill-everyone-games, spoke up, "Wow! He looks like Ezio Auditore!"

Rei shook her head, "Nah, it's just the outfit."

"If he doesn't kill us, this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship!"

"Well, he's dressed like an assassin dude!" I said, "He's obviously going to try and kill us!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Brandon said, "Have you now shame, dear friend? An assassin does not simply–."

"Oh, cut that crap!" I cried, "If I hear another Game of Thrones reference, I will cry as I rip both of your heads off!"

"You're just jealous be–."

The lances came zooming down at Chrom. I was actually genuinely worried for his safety right now and felt a strange tug in my gut. I dunno, but I think Brandon and Rei felt it to because they were trying to keep themselves from running forwards like idiots. Or just brave fools.

_Sumia! Now would be a great time to save Chrom!_

_WHOOOSH!_

Sumia's pegasus flew down as she pulled him up onto the saddle and brought him to safety. The usual scene played out as they threw more javelins before Sumia landed safely in an indentation in the wall.

Frederick let out a sigh of relief and Lissa immediately ran to Chrom to see if he had any injuries. Rei, Brandon and I followed as well.

"Captain! Are you all right?" Sumia asked, blushing a bit.

Chrom, oblivious as ever, replied, "I'm fine Sumia. There's no need to worry. Though I wouldn't be fine if it wasn't for you and that ornery pegasus from earlier."

"Yeah!" Lissa cheered, "You were amazing Sumia! You were all like _whoosh!_ And Chrom was like _Ahhh!_ And Fredders was like _oh f–_." Lissa quickly stopped herself from saying the word before continuing, "I wanna be a pegasus knight now!" She turned to her brother with a pout, "Can we please, please, please get a pegasus?"

Chrom shook his head with a smile, "No, Lissa."

"Aww! There go my dreams of being a legendary pegasus knight like Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Greaaaaaaaat-Grandma Caeda…"

"…If you find a pegasus…You can keep it Lissa."

"Reaaaalllllyyyy?!"

"Yes…"

Lissa skipped in place before Robin told her to pair up with Sumia. She had no objections.

"She's never finding a pegasus, is she?" I asked.

"Nope," Chrom smirked, "Pegasi can't be found just anywhere. Only members of the royal pegasus knights can find them without trouble. It's a secret kept within the order."

"Really? Wow…Is Ylisse the country of many secrets too?"

"Well…though I hate to admit it…There are many well-kept secrets in Ylisse."

"Wow…"

Robin turned to us, "If you chatterboxes are done talking, you're needed over there with Rei and Brandon."

"YES SIR! TACTICIAN OF AWESOMENESS, SIR!" I saluted smartly and walked over to my friends.

As soon as the battle began, I don't know how they did it, but Miriel and Robin put up a sort of 'electric fence' made of wind and thunder magic. It kept javelins from hitting us from above, more soldiers from the top of the fort and kept the ones we were currently facing trapped. A stroke of genius on Robin's part.

"Hyah!" I struck aimed a stab/punch with my iron sword at one Feroxi soldier's gut. He easily parried and forced me back before aiming a slash at my torso.

I jumped back and the strike missed by the cloth of my shirt. Literally. It only grazed my shirt sleeve, tearing it still.

The soldier seemed to grow cocky and began to move quicker, he was a swordsman after all. He could've been using a quarter of his speed and I wouldn't know.

Fine if that's how he wants to play–

*Yelp*

I cradled my gashed arm and narrowed my eyes at the dude angrily. …I wish I knew how to activate those powers I had during the 'time we set up camp and bears attacked' (*wink, wink*). That was so useful then, so why not now?! No fair!

_**Water and air are two different things…but they have many similarities. Water and air adapt to the 'area' they are in. If it is your wish and desire to protect, you'll be able to activate such power…**_

_HUH?!_

…_**.**_

Hm…Must've been one of the random anime quotes that repeat themselves in my head sometimes…

Whatever.

OH. RIGHT…OW!

Oh…Chrom killed them. Thanks!

I quickly ran to where Lissa was and she healed me.

"Thanks Lissa!" I said before running back into the fight with my sword hand twitch–*shot*

I ran at the nearest myrmidon and yelled, "The stars have foretold it!"

*CHOP*

EWWWWWW!

ASJDWDJIWDJOAWJKDWAJDOWAISJOADOIWJFDAWFSTAWRDTARWDAWTDATWDFAWYTDF

I decapitated him with my crit! EWWWWWWW!

As I gagged another axeman came up behind me and the only thing that saved me was someone talking about me.

"ACHOOO!"

The axeman jumped back in surprise and dropped his axe. I turned, ready to go for the kill, but stopped myself. That one guy was an accident. This one doesn't deserve the same fate.

"Go! Run off! I'm not going to kill you…What's the point of killing future allies?"

He slowly nodded, gulped and ran off.

After a while we had made it to the second floor where Chrom had finished off Raimi with a rapier that he had somewhere….Where'd he keep that?

Anyway, Raimi lead us into the country with this new guy, Dylan. I honestly have no idea who he is or what he's doing here, but I can say something. He does not belong here. And neither do Rei, Brandon and me…

* * *

**And scene! I apologize if some of the humor seems forced. As I sort of said in between the lines, I'm not much of a comedian. If I did make any of you laugh (Hopefully, not in a mean, you suck way!) then mission accomplished! If I didn't I'll try harder next time! I'll try to get a few chapters out and then we'll get the Thanksgiving Special around that time. I honestly have no ideas for that. Mr. PhantomGalaxy13, the author of ****System Restoration**** (Who doesn't know this dude?!) already took the turkey hunt idea, so that's out. Any suggestions for that would be appreciated (Please send by PM) since it's just as much the readers' story as it is mine, if that makes any sense!**

**Also that female OC slot is still open! PM me if you would like to submit a female OC that will appear in this! Tell me who you want for the hubby and we'll see if they're available! …Damn hubby libraries…Only an application sent by PM with the format below will be selected. (IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME EXACT FORMAT, SO DON'T FRET!)**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Nationality: **

**Where from:**

**When found in Ylisse:**

**Chapter:**

**Possible Supports:**

**S Support:**

**Kid:**

**Roster (Optional)**

**Kid Roster (Optional)**


	8. Chapter 8: Mr Goatman, Badass at Work

**And I'm back! Now we shall begin ze progress! Oh sweet wonderful progress! Hm…I'm thinking of not adding another OC. I might oblige if someone were to request it though. Anyway! Let us begin!**

**You may or may not have noticed, but I changed my Pen Name. I dunno. My usual just was so…**_**bland**_**. But I don't mind if you call me Thoaria or Tcc! Whichever you prefer! I guess the 'T' stands for something now…Meh. Now I need stuff for the c's… (That has no relevance to Thor whatsoever.)**

**Ahem! Anyway! Sometimes I may contradict the notes in my writing. That's because these are my thoughts and such before I begin. **

**Do you want me to censor curses? Like not shit or crap, but bigger words? **

**I would also like to thank Tumerboy12 for the support! Go and check out his story ****Coexistence****! ASAP! Or I'll find you and…*muffled cackles***

* * *

**Chapter 8: Mr. Goatman, Badass at Work**

_November 17, X178_

"…_.Wait. Crap. I wrote the wrong date on the first freaking page. Meh…Let me fix that…Okay. It's the year…"_

I stopped writing here and turned to Miriel who was conveniently next to me in the caravan.

"Miriel?"

"What is it?" She asked as she pushed her glasses up her nose. Damn. That's some seriously flash coming from those. Yowch.

"Um…This may sound crazy, but what is today's date?"

_Please say the year, please say the year, please say the year!_

"November 17, 2609 years after the Hero-King founded the Halidom of Ylisse. That is the most common year measurement, after all. 2609 A.D. Alternatively, people say 1609 years after the First Exalt, 2709 years after Anri slayed Medeus, 2708 years after Altea aka Ylisse or Archanea, or lastly–."

"Okay! Got it, Miriel!" I said, quickly, to stop her from hurting my head even more.

"_2609 A.D. That's what Miriel said. Well, that's what I derived from her crazy, long and confusing explanation. _

"_Anyway, I decided not to document every boring moment of our journey to the inner walls of Ferox. It's an Attack on Titan concept. Sort of. It has three walls with many leagues (5.55600 km) of land in between. That's probably why they needed two khans…We had passed through the first wall a few days ago. It was just the Longfort. No special name. A few hours ago we passed through Wall Lupus. Soon we would reach Wall Lupa. Not much difference or creativity there, I know. But Ferox has this Roman-like history with wolves apparently. Something about two wolves finding a young boy named Gengha and saving him…Sort of reminds me of—."_

"Shepherds!" I heard Chrom yell from somewhere outside the caravan, "We are about to enter the final wall! Get your belongings and be ready to be lead to your respective rooms!"

Blah, blah. Usual stuff. I want to meet the khan now.

I quickly scribbled a few more words at the bottom of the journal entry.

"_Chrom's a-calling. Gotta get through this final wall. Ciao!"_

Placing my stuff in my funderful knapsack, I jumped up and out of the caravan…and landed right in front of the new guy.

"Oh, hello!" I said cheerfully to the tall, blonde dude, "You're…Dylan, right?"

_Hey! I'm actually shorter than som—Well…Someone who isn't in the Shepherds…These are some tall people and I thought I was tall…._

"…"

"Oh? Staring contest it is!" What better excuse to look at someone who doesn't belong without being a creep! It wasn't going anywhere so I just sighed and gave up.

"Ha! I win!" He smirked evilly.

"…Tch. Only because I let you!" I scoffed as I frowned. Then my frown went away. You can't frown around this guy…Friggin cheerful aura, probably… "A-anyway. Was I right or wrong?"

"Yeah and you're….? Sorry, your name has slipped my mind…" He said apologetically.

"It's Erin, Sunshine,"

"Well met, Eri—Did you just call me Sunshine?!"

"Just figured you needed a nickname…" I murmured, "Welcome to the group!"

"Group?"

"Of people who don't belong in the Shepherds. What's with the Ezio Auditore getup anyway?"

"I was at a convention…" He shook his head, "So what you're saying is; you're from Earth?"

"The one and only Erin Fedelta," I bowed dramatically before continuing forwards. I totally forgot about the room situation and the khan. Let's hope they didn't meet her yet…Nope! They're still over there!

"That name's familiar…"

"Really?"

"Yeah…Um…A recent news report, maybe?"

"Oh~ Rei, Brandon and I are famous?~" I looked back at him, "How so?"

"Three comatose teens for no reason maybe?"

"You'd think I was in a bad SAO fanfic…But instead I'm in a bad Fire Emblem one!"

"Huh. Exactly what I said," He thought for a minute, "Though I remember another name. It occurred a few days after you…I can't recall it…Sorry."

"Nah. It's fine," I said, "We can pull it up later on—."

A loud and familiar voice interrupted our conversation.

"Dylan! Hurry up! The khan would like to speak with you!" Raimi yelled.

Dylan sighed, "That's my cue. See ya, Shorty!"

"Hey! I'm like a friggin half inch shorter than you!" I yelled back.

"That's oddly specific!"

I turned away and gazed at the stars and thought only one thing.

_F*** you, Ms. M!_

And then math was never relatively fun ever again…

* * *

I ran into the khan's throne room area thing in the middle of the conversation.

"Am I now?" Flavia said.

"Oh? Are you the East Khan?" I asked as everyone jumped and turned.

"Erin?" Chrom asked, "What are you doing here?"

I just ignored him and shook Flavia's hand furiously, "Hello, Khan Flavia! I'm Erin and that's Chrom and Robin and Lissa and Frederick the Wary!"

The khan smiled a bit before guffawing, "Quite the sprightly one, aren't you?"

I blinked a few times, awkwardly, before immediately stepping back a few paces and rubbed my head sheepishly, "I'm not normally like that…Just making new friends is fun…." I looked behind the khan and waved, "Oh! Hi, Sunshine!" He just facepalmed.

And so did everyone else.

…

…

…

"Sorry~!" I said meekly with a 'meep' before stepping behind the group.

Frederick glared, Robin sighed, Chrom shook his head and Lissa giggled. At least one of those reactions was good.

"Ahem," Chrom cleared his throat, "So you're the East Khan?"

Flavia nodded, "Yes. I'm Flavia, as your friend here said. I apologize for the trouble the border guard gave you, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Ferox."

"Thank you, but this misunderstanding can be put behind us. Your border guards were merely doing their duty."

"Is it true that brigands would dare impersonate milord and citizens of Ylisse and attack your border villages?" Frederick asked.

"Indeed, Sir Frederick," Flavia said, "We found documents saying as much on the corpse of their leader. Plegia seems set on rising tensions between our kingdoms."

"Damn them!" Chrom blurted out before thinking, "Apologies, Your Grace. That was indelicately put…"

"Ha! Here in Ferox plain speech is preferred!" Flavia smiled broadly, "Damn them and damn delicacy!"

"Then someone should have a word with their damn border guards~!" I sang innocently.

Flavia turned to me, "Now that's Feroxi diplomacy!"

Robin sighed loudly, "That's her only diplomacy."

"Are you trying to say something Robin?!" I asked indignantly, "Or do you want me to shove this sword up your ass?!" I gestured to the sword that was secured to the hip of my arrival outfit. Apparently I can't fight in my Espella attire that came from who knows where.

"Nothing~!" Robin simply said, "Stop jumping to conclusions~!"

"Quite the rowdy bunch you've got here, Prince!" Flavia said as Robin and I continued to bicker back and forth.

"They're damn nuisance sometimes, but they'll stay by your side to the bitter end," Chrom replied.

"Ha! Ha! I like you already," Flavia said before her smile faded, "I know why you come, but I cannot give what you ask."

Robin and I stopped bickering and faced Flavia as Lissa said sadly, "I thought you were the khan? Why can't you help? I don't understand…"

"I said that I was the East Khan. _One_ of the two khans of Ferox," She started, "You see…There's a tournament every few years. Duo Lupi de Tournament, or more commonly known as The Tournament of the Two Wolves. We hold it to celebrate the two wolves in our lore and to decide who the reigning khan is as they decided which wolf would guide the East Khan and which wolf would guide the West Khan in the very same lore."

"That very tournament is tomorrow. I have no need for a champion…but if you seek our aid, then you'll fight for it," Flavia finished.

Dylan stiffened next to her before letting out a sigh, "Flavia?"

"Hm?"

"I believe Prince Chrom should face West Ferox's strongest champion."

"That is an idea…I was originally going to have them participate to give us an advantage early on…but if you insist…"

"I truly believe Prince Chrom is the better swordsman," He did an Attack on Titan fist salute.

"Very well. You are to fight the semifinalist, Su—Er, Dylan."

Chrom nodded in agreement and smiled at Sunshine, "So if we win; you get your power and we get our alliance? I thought we had no place in Feroxi traditions?"

"No, no! The khans themselves don't fight! They choose champions from outside kingdoms to represent. It stops blood feuds and dead khans!" Flavia explained, "That's where you come in. You, Prince, will be facing their champion. I hear that they're quite the swordsman."

"Please, just call me Chrom," Chrom said and then remained silent as he processed what she had said before nodding again, "He shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity."

"Assuming the champion is male!" I said, "Females can be badass too!"

"…Feminist…" Robin muttered.

I glared at him as I silently plotted his death (next prank).

"_They_ shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity," Chrom corrected himself.

"Well spoken—I do hope you survive this tournament, Chrom," Flavia said as she left the room, "We will be departing shortly. You can decide who will represent your kingdom and the east on the trip there. Please note that the tournament is strictly limited to swordsmen,"

* * *

We had all piled into a huge caravan that Flavia had been using as transportation to the center of the kingdom. Arena Ferox was located smack-dab in the middle of Khan Basilio's castle/domain and Flavia's. It was called the Arena autem Gemini Ceu, which was roughly translated (via Google Translate) to the Arena of the Two Wolves.

"….and Erin."

I hadn't really been paying attention to Chrom and Robin's conversation, but when I heard Robin say my name, I jumped up.

"What are you plotting against me?" I immediately asked, "I'm right here so that would be a pretty bad idea."

Robin shook his head, "We weren't plotting anything. We just decided that you should participate in the tournament."

"M-me?!" I asked, flattered, but still why? "Why?"

"You're one of the only sword wielders we have," Chrom explained, "Only six can participate. Dylan and I are already in the tournament; so that leaves four others. You, Frederick, Brandon and Stahl."

"Certainly there would be someone else better though? Doesn't Sully know how to use a sword? Vaike?"

Robin looked to Chrom for this answer since he knew more about the Shepherds.

"Unfortunately, Sully isn't very agile when she isn't riding that beast of hers," Chrom replied, "And Vaike…though he's okay with an axe; that's all he can really do."

Vaike started from nearby, "HEY! DON'T DOUBT—"

Miriel silence him by throwing a book at him…

Oh. Wait. That was Rei. I forgot that she stole Miriel's Fire tome.

"Okay…When will I be fighting?" I asked after a moment. I hope I don't end up first or thi—

"The quarterfinals," Robin said simply as I began to freak out.

"WHAT?!"

"…Is there a problem with that?" Chrom asked.

"*sniff* I-I didn't know you guys put so much faith in me!"

_I am resisting the urge to hug someone…._

"But what idiot came up with that idea?!" I finished.

"…You really shouldn't call the tactician who leads you into battle an idiot…" Robin muttered.

"Really? If you're so smart; figure this out!" I reached into my bag and pulled out a convenient piece of parchment and 'pen.' I wrote down a simple order of operations problem. None of that Greek letter shit.

9 (-3+-2) 24 ÷ 8

…

…

…

Robin just stared down at the painfully easy problem.

"…"

"Your answer should've been 145!" I replied as I held up my work.

"Robin…" Chrom said, "She's right, isn't she…"

"You must be some mathematician to know how to solve such a hard math problem…" Robin said as if it were nothing.

_We're doomed, aren't we?!_

"It takes bona fide talent!" I smiled at him, "That'll be 4 me; 4 you. We're tied."

"But you do realize that I let you win, right?" He continued.

_WHAT?! I felt so smart about it too…._

"And the answer isn't 145…" Robin smirked, "It's 135. Don't underestimate _the tactician who leads you into battle_."

…_.Oh. My bad. Said the wrong number…_

"Well, aren't you just a genius!" I scoffed, "Bet you couldn't beat me at chess!"

Robin pulled a board out of who knows where, opened it, placed it on a table that came out of nowhere and placed carved figure of the Shepherds on said board. After that he leaned forward and folded his hands in his chin.

"Is that a challenge, Shorty?"

"Robin! I'm like half an inch shorter than you!" I scowled before eyeing the board in contempt. I was bluffing… "Challenge accepted, Bubbles."

"Now this isn't just any game of chess. The lighter pieces are Shepherds and the darker ones are Plegians, Risen, etc."

"Does it go by the weapon triangle?"

Robin shook his head, "No. In that aspect it's like traditional chess. Chrom—."

Upon hearing his name, Chrom looked over at the board from where he sat, daydreaming probably.

"—is the commander or king piece. If he kicks the bucket it's game over. Everyone else is their respective class. Eventually, I'm going to change the classes as they promote. I was going to make a piece the queen, but that would be a little odd, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, wouldn't want to force Chrom into a marriage, would we?"

"Don't give me pictures, please!" Robin exclaimed, "We don't want little Chroms and Chromettes running around!"

Chrom simply blushed in embarrassment, "H-Hey! I'm not planning on starting a family anytime soon!"

I smiled knowingly, "I'm placing a bet on….somewhere between four and seven months. Then we'll see!"

_Note to self: Make Chrom cough up money on May 14_

Robin laughed and made his first move, "That I'd love to see. I don't doubt he'll reel in a catch before then…"

"G-Guys! Stop!" He became even redder.

Oh the joys of Chrom bashing.

* * *

_I got you now Robin!_

I moved my Risen Chief to finish off Chrom, "Check…."

WAIT. Can't he….

Robin smirked, "Checkmate."

Stand. Look at Robin evilly. And….

Robin's smirk vanished, "Did the temperature just drop 20 degrees?"

"Fuck this shit!"

FLIP TABLE.

The pieces flew across the caravan floor and the table a board fell to the ground as laughed my ass off. I have _always_ wanted an excuse to do that!

…

…

…

…

I should probably pick that up.

I knelt down and quickly picked up all the pieces; red as a tomato all the while. I really need to think before I act. Old…habits die hard? I don't really see that as a habit…It's like my napkin ripping habit though. I do it subconsciously.

Rei had walked over as I was picking up the pieces.

"She blew up, didn't she?" She suppressed a giggle.

Robin and Chrom nodded slowly as Robin asked, "Does this happen often?"

Rei shook her head, "Just don't put too much pressure on her or make her mad. You'll both have much longer lives that way," Rei smirked, "Let's just say; don't let the fuse blow up the tampon…"

"REI!" I exclaimed, "Keep it PG!"

"Says the one who swore before chucking this across the floor!"

* * *

**Brandon's PoV (Long overdue! Apologies!)**

"So…." Dylan murmured as he watched the girls throw stuff each other in the distance, "Is this a normal occurrence?"

"Fortunately, no. Rei's just taking it too far," I replied, "So you're East Ferox's original champion?"

"Flavia was pretty desperate. Honestly, I don't know how I did it….I was a fencer, but fencing is a more of a stabbing motion than slashes," He simply shrugged and then whispered, "You're from Earth?"

"Yeah. I was tied with Erin for the top of our class. So we were rivals of sorts."

"Really? You both don't really strike me as a nerdy type…."

"Oh, I had a scholarship for football and my instrument. She was a karate master and flutist. And aren't we all nerds really? Look around you…"

"True, true…What about Rei?"

"She and Erin are the best of friends. I think she was doing fashion and art. She's quite skilled."

"Hm…I see promotion outfits on the way~!" He said, "Maybe some group portraits too~!"

"Heh, yeah," I laughed, "What about you? What did you do with your life?"

Dylan shrugged, "Not much. I played football as well, fencing like I said before, comedy, singing, cartoons….."

"Wow. We're all multitalented here. That must be why we were chosen…."

"Who knows? Maybe you're right…" He tapped his chin in thought, "Tell me about the time you failed English."

I felt the color drain from my face, "She didn't…" From the look on his face I could tell that she did, "No."

"C'mon! Tell me!"

"…"

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

"…."

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"

"UGH! FINE!"

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

….OMG OMG GOMGOMGOGMGOMGOMG. AJSADKJKASJDKKAJD.

I nun like dis at alls!

I began punching one of the walls in the coliseum. My match was after this one. This one being Brandon's. You see, when I get nervous, I get nervous. I either start clinging to intimate/close friends or shaking like a grandma. No offense grandmas. Seeing as Rei was in the bleachers, Brandon was fighting and I didn't want to creep Dylan out; I just punched the wall.

"Um…" Chrom's voice said from behind me, "Why are you punching the wall? And is that water forming around you? Did the temperature just drop? Or is it now more humid?"

"Do you want me to cling to your arm like a creep? I'm assuming no. I'm nervous. So I'm punching the wall," I turned from the wall, "Water? Where?" I felt a drop land on my head, "Oh….I dunno. Maybe something similar to what happened in that 'bear attack' on the way here?" I shook myself, "Can you run down the rules and how to win the tournament one more time?"

Chrom sighed. This was the fifth time I had asked.

"Every time someone wins, their side earns a point. The one with the most points after the final round ends with a draw or victory wins the tournament. If one side is losing and they win the final round; it's an automatic win. All dirty tactics are allowed. Kills are allowed. The opponent may surrender or yield."

"THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND IS THE WEST!" The announcer said as they pointed to the swordsman.

"Oh gods….That makes it 3:4. In favor of the West…" I muttered, "I think I'm gonna…Yep…Wait. No. I'm good!" I ran over and gave everyone really awkward hugs. Everyone including Stahl, Brandon, Robin, Dylan, Chrom and Frederick…Why isn't he in the quarterfi…Never mind. I'm still questioning this world's logic.

"W-wish me luck g-guys…" I slowly made it to the center of the arena as Robin was probably questioning his decision to send me in for the quarterfinal…

I turned to face my opponent. They were pretty tall, though not as tall as me. Yes. I am going to keep putting that out there. I'm a prideful bi'atch. She had long blue hair with—must be one of Chrom's future kids…I wonder who though…—that was up in a ponytail with a braid wrapped around the base of it. Part of her bangs were covering her left eye. Think: Saber from Fate/Stay Night. Her outfit was like a Lucina concept Ephraim. Just Ephraim, but female with Lucina's color scheme.

(Recommended Song: Uranus, the Magician, from Gustav Holst's Planet Suite)

"Hey!" I said to my opponent, "What's your name, miss?"

"My name isn't important, Ylissean," She replied curtly.

"It's proper for both parties to state their names before a duel," I pressed.

She sighed, "…Ephraim."

"After the ancient prince of Renais, huh? No matter," I bowed, "I'm Erin, pleased to meet you."

"Well met…." She said monotonously before bowing as well.

The room remained quiet for a moment before I broke the silence as I ran towards 'Ephraim'.

"Hyah!" I aimed a slash at her arm with she caught with her own blade.

Our blades immediately became locked and we both struggled for dominance. Seeing as we weren't getting anywhere, I threw a kick towards her face. She predicted this, somehow, and caught my foot with her fist before trying to pull it over her shoulder. I miraculously pulled my foot out of her grip and tried to pull off a right hook.

"…Grr…" From the grunt of pain I could tell that I did not miss.

She then did the unexpected and pulled me so my back faced her and planted a kick behind my knee. Like that one Eren pulls off in the…fourth (?) episode of Attack on Titan.

"OW! GODS! DAMN IT!" My left leg collapsed and pulled me onto my knees, "So you want to play it that way, huh?!" I brought my elbow back and hit her right below her left knee.

As she fell back, I stood and readied my sword for when she would stand again. I'm not going to achieve victory or lose that easily. Cue Robin and Chrom ripping their hair out.

She slowly stood and readied the steel sword that she had. From her stance, I could tell that this wasn't her usual weapon of choice and that she had more experience with something else. Probably a lance. Hence the name Ephraim. I had a bit experience myself since sensei taught my class a bit of iaido.

"Why didn't you strike me down when you had the chance?" She asked.

"Because then it would be no fun. Er…And it's better to show your opponents mercy?" I asked more than said.

She simply shook her head and charged forwards and thrust her sword. I smoothly dodged as if I were an embodiment of water and air. I ducked again as her sword flew over my head in slow motion or so it seemed. As I was moving back to my old position, she managed to get a—WHAT?!

Where the sword was heading (my torso) bent in slightly, causing the blade to…completely…miss.

She seemed stunned as well so I used this moment to grab her sword hand and squeeze it, causing her drop the sword. I then securely placed my sword at her jugular.

"Yield," I said coldly.

"I-I yield," She spluttered.

(End Music)

"THE WINNER OF THIS ROUND IS THE EAST!" The announcer said as the crowd went wild.

I moved away from her before running back to the competing Shepherds.

"I did it!" I jumped happily and was met by various congratulations from said Shepherds.

* * *

**Lucas's PoV**

I sat up in the stands with Basilio and Olivia. This was my first time witnessing the tournament. Basilio had asked me to be one of his champions, but I declined.

I heard Basilio sigh in contempt as West Ferox lost the match.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu wash over me as I watched the winner fight that 'Ephraim' girl. The same sense I felt when I had first met 'Ephraim.' They both reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it…

"These Ylisseans are good," Basilio growled, "But we've got the better men….Right?"

Olivia offered a reassuring smile, "Y-yeah! Of course Khan Basilio!"

"Olivia, what did I say about calling me 'Khan'?"

"…O-of course Basilio."

"That's m'girl," He said proudly (?).

I looked at Basilio, "Do you happen to know 'Ephraim's' opponent's name?"

"No, I just hear that she's a Shepherd from Ylisse."

"Hm…"

* * *

**Dylan's PoV**

I'm facing….Lon'qu…Great. Just bloody perfect!

"Su—Dylan, you're up," Chrom said.

_No shit! I didn't need a reminder, Your Princeliness! You're not making my nervousness go away!_

"Come on, Sunshine!" Erin said as she made it back to us, "Go kill 'em! Not really…Show mercy. Or I'll find you and murder you in your sleep!" She said that with a smile… "No pressure and don't fuck up!"

_You people really know how to put stress on a guy…_

Robin began to walk….NOPE!

(=Saturn, Bringer of Old Age, from Gustav Holst's Planet Suite=)

I immediately ran to the center of the arena. Lon'qu was already there, holding his sword out menacingly. It sent a bit of a shiver down my spine, but then I thought of the bigger picture and calmed myself. If Ylisse is going to make it, I must keep the odds in our favor. There's a high chance that the finals will end in a draw, I need to safeguard that victory.

From what I've heard; they call Lon'qu the Silent Swordsman. He apparently has the makings of a khan and can finish you off quickly and silently mere seconds after the battle has begun.

As the arena became silent and the tension in the air became even thicker, Lon'qu charged. It would've caught most off guard, but from my many years of playing American football, a blitz wouldn't and couldn't shake me.*****

Lon'qu tried to strike me in the shoulder but I beat parried and riposted (struck after parry). A simple technique. He seemed to catch on and stomped his front foot in an effort to startle me before lunging. I jumped back and counter-parried. He predicted this and stopped my sword's circular motion with his own sword. Soon they were locked and it became a struggle for dominance.

Slowly, but surely, Lon'qu was winning our power struggle…If he won that, he would probably follow up with a killing blow or mock killing blow and force me to yield…If only I had more strength….

Another silence fell over the arena. As if a pin dropped our silence was broken as I yelled, "Capricorni fortitude!"

A single drop of sweat rolled off Lon'qu's chin before I immediately overpowered him and drove his sword to his jugular, "Yield."

How I did this, you ask? At this time I didn't even know half the shit that was going on. The others are going to have a lot of explaining to do.

Lon'qu hesitated, but obviously saw that he was defeated, "I…yield," He grunted as the crowd roared with a mixture of excitement (probably from the east) and anger (definitely from the west)

I ran back to the Shepherds as the announcer announced the east's victory.

"Heh! See! Dilly's got it!" Rei said. She must've come down from the stands during the match, "He must be a Capricorn! Determined, cheerful and…annoyingly stubborn…"

_What was that that I yelled back there? Latin? No…I don't know Latin…Must be Latin then…._

Chrom smiled as he offered his congratulations, "Nice work, Dylan. Looks like Flavia made the right choice."

"Of course she did!" Erin interrupted, "Or I wouldn't have threatened—."

Robin facepalmed, "You need to _stop_ threatening people. First it's losing people and now it's threatening people! These are very bad habits! Thank gods you don't have ki—"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY SOMETHING, ROBIN?!"

"Looks like I'm next," Chrom said as we continued our conversation over the bickering.

"You'll do fine, Chrom. I've a feeling this opponent will be an easy one."

And an easy victory it was. It basically went through the cut scene in the game up until…

Chrom's sword was aimed towards Lucina's face. She dodged, but just barely as Falchion cut through her mask. The two pieces fell to the ground and her hair was released from who knows where. Chrom just gaped at her. I really hope it wasn't in the bad way.

"You're….You're a woman?" I somehow heard him say.

"And apparently quite the actress. I had expected you to figure this out by now, though I think everyone _but_ you in the Shepherds has it already figured it out," She replied as she turned towards the West Khan and sheathed her Falchion, "I yield!" before fleeing the arena with the person Erin fought.

* * *

"This is Lon'qu," Basilio said, "He's our donation to the Ylissean war effort," Basilio turned to me slowly, with a wide grin. That meant something bad…. "Take Dylan too! Take him before Flavia returns! We can't let the east have an advantage, can we?"

Chrom smiled slightly, "Do any of you object to this?"

"He gives orders, I stab people," Lon'qu said one of my favorite lines, "I think our roles are clear."

"And you, Dylan?" Chrom asked.

"If it's to help stop the baddies then I'm all for it,"

* * *

**And scene! I had originally intended for that last bit to be a bit bigger, but meh. I ran out of ideas…Though it isn't quite over yet….Just the main part! I just want to explain why I chose those songs from Gustov Holst's "The Planets". I chose Uranus (ha. Ha. That's the planet that rules over my zodiac sign. Laugh and I'll find you….) because that's the planet that rules over the constellation Aquarius.**

**Saturn was chosen for the same reasons. It's the bringer of old age. Saturn = Cronus (though I spell it Kronus) and Kronus is the titan/god of time/Father Time. Dude with the scythe. He rules over, if you hadn't guessed, Dylan's Zodiac, Capricorn.**

* * *

**Third Person**

"Erin…." Aquarius said in the girl's mind as she dreamed that night. In the dream were eight other Zodiac's and their respective Hosts.

Each Zodiac had each called out to their Host.

"W-what?!" Erin exclaimed, "Who are you?! And what are you doing in my dream?"

"You know exactly who I am…" She replied, "That voice you heard a few days ago?"

"That was you? I thought I was hallucinating!"

"No, unfortunately. Because the burden you all will have to carry is a heavy one." Aquarius replied, "Those odd occurrences were caused by my powers that are mostly dormant inside you. Only as you progress you will be to unlock each power."

"…So my life is like Smash Run…." Erin muttered, "Great. It's gonna take a long ass time—"

"Ahem. Yes, in a way, from what I can see from your memories."

"My memories?"

"I feel what you feel. And in turn you feel what I do. We are one in the same yet we are different—"

"Please don't pull that religious stuff—"

"We are united yet we are two separate beings…"

"…"

"Your friends and the other Hosts are experiencing this same dream as we speak."

"You mean…besides Rei, Brandon, Dylan and me; there are others?"

"Yes. Four to be exact."

"And what—"

"I can't hold this connection any longer. It's nearing dawn!" With that all the Hosts were forced awake, much to their disgust, and weren't able to fall asleep again.

* * *

**Tumerboy12: I apologize if I got Dylan's character wrong in any way! I speak for all authors when I say this. It's hard to write a character who isn't your own and get their personality down. The challenge is fun of course! I think I mostly got it. Though your criticism if I got anything wrong would be great!**

**And now for some glorious outtakes/BTS!**

* * *

Erin: Lon'qu?

Lon'qu: ….

Erin: Can I have one of those non-peeled potatoes that you got there?

Lon'qu: *silently tosses potato*

Erin: Thanks! *Runs over to Chrom* Hey! Chrom can I borrow that probably really important tie for your cape? Or just the whole thing.

Chrom: *sighs while throwing cape*

Erin: Thanks, Princey! *Finds Miriel* Hey Miriel! Can you come here for a second? I'm gonna tire this potato to this wooden post with Chrom's cape string thing. You're gonna make it spin with your wind tome, okay?

Miriel: Ah! An experiment on the movement of an ob—

Erin: Yeah, yeah. Just do it, please.

Miriel: *nods and uses wind tome*

Erin: Ahem! ~The potato flew around the room before you came!~ Excu—"

Dylan: NO! JUST NO! STOP! GODS! STOP IT!

Erin: Party pooper….

* * *

Erin: *yells at 3DS* Kill 'em, Lucina! Kill 'em!

Rei: NO! ROBIN! YOU CAN DO THIS!

Chrom: ….Is that Marth? …Why does the thing say Lucina?

*Rei and Erin share a look*

Erin: Bag him!

Rei: Already on it!

* * *

*Think. When Emmeryn isn't home*

* * *

**And those are things I wanted to include so bad! But I knew that it would mess up a bunch of stuff in the story…So it became outtakes and Behind the Scenes stuff. Since this is sort of like a movie. But you have to read…**

**Well! Good night all! That was my horrible attempt at humor! I hope at least someone cracked a smile. And if you will, please leave a review or PM me if you have any questions! Remember. There's one OC spot left for a female!**


	9. Chapter 9: Name is Too Long See Chap

**I would like to thank all who reviewed, followed and favorited AtD! Thanks, really! I honestly am that person who forgets to thank people. I'm spoiled, okay? The support has really helped me get these chapters out. Believe it or not, I'm actually pretty busy otherwise I'd have two or maybe even three chapters out every week. Stupid schoolwork. Friggin slogan that I have to come up for a publishing company that relates to chemistry and copper that wasted an hour of my life by having me stare and stare at nothing in deep thought….That made no sense. *Laughs awkwardly* **

**And then Mr. Flashy (I legit named my flash drive that.) kept popping up as a friggin disk driver and kept saying "Please insert disk into MR. FLASHY" every time I would try and open it. So in short…YAY. REWRITES!**

**Well. Here she goes!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: …We have a hippie?! Er…I mean nature freak?! No that's rude…Girl Scout! That's a nicer term!**

"Chrom, I'm sorry, but it's too big. It won't fit," I simply said as we stood outside of Ferox. Basically, Fredders was a party pooper and didn't let us par-tayyyy.

"Certainly it can! Just maybe turn it a bit?" He asked.

"If we calculate the area, volume, diameter, whatever the hell applies here; it won't fit in _any_ direction."

"…But…We've had so many good times with that caravan…"

"Do you want me to continuously outsmart you here or do want to agree? The easy way or the hard way?"

"Can't we just smoosh it in there and hope we can pull it out somehow?"

I sighed, "No. Then it'll get stuck. No matter what."

Rei and Brandon tried to contain laughter as we discussed how to get it through the caves. Their efforts were wasted as they lost it and had to hold each other up. They were crying from laughter.

"Now, now, guys…Grow up," Dylan walked up from behind and bonked them both on the head, "St-stop laughing a-at the…"

Yeah. He joined them.

"And here I thought you were the mature one," I scoffed.

"Yes, maturely knowledged…."

"That doesn't make sense! And knowledged isn't a word…"

Chrom just looked at us like a kitten would look at a butterfly. Full of curiosity and 'why dafuq is that bug flying?!'

"We're talking about the same thing, right?" He asked, "We were trying to figure out how to get the caravan through the caves since all other routes to Ylisstol have been blocked off due to the blizzard. What were you talking about?"

Brandon spoke up, "Well, we thought you were making d—."

I punched him. Don't want to ruin Chrom's mostly pure and not….something mind. He's too oblivious to know…That was mean. I sorry, Cwom! ….Well…Everyone meets that one person who just takes a head opener thingy and dumps dirt in there….That was horrible.

"Why'd you punch him?!" Chrom exclaimed.

"He was just about to insult your m—sister!" I beamed at him.

_PLEASE. BUY. IT._

"I was saving you a lot of trouble! You might've killed him if he had finished that sentence. You is very welcomes!" I finished, "Er…I mean…You are very welcome!"

He narrowed his eyes and glared at Brandon who was clutching his nose.

"I highly doubt that," He simply said, "What were you going to say?"

"N-nothing!" I jumped and lead Chrom over to Robin, "Hey! Tacty! Explain to Princey why his lovely caravan won't fit through the caves."

Robin snickered before beginning his long explanation about a cave fairy and how she disliked caravans. Of course he buys the fairy tale over real scientific facts. Robin then proceeded to pull up his hood as the snowfall increased.

"GAHHHH!"

Oh. I forgot about that! I may or may not have put an equivalent to water balloons in his hood.

"ERIN!"

I ran off. And as I did I realized that my name sounded a bit like Alvin when he yelled that.

* * *

After earning myself and my accomplice, Lissa, punishment from Robin and Chrom respectfully, we began our march back to Ylisstol. Thankfully said punishment wasn't extremely harsh….for Lissa that is. She just sat through a lecture from Chrom while Robin drawled on and on. Not being princess of the realm, I had been given the chore of cleaning the stables and taking care of the horses (Sully's, Stahl's, Sumia's, etc) once we got back. Now I had no objections to this because one; I used to do horseback and help clean up the stables after and two; mad Chrom is scary.

Rei let out a sigh as we proceeded through the caves. We had to leave the caravan and horses for that in the care the Feroxi. No caravan equals no warmth.

"How about a song?" I asked her. We had done chorus and stuff together. I admit I wasn't American Idol good, but good enough to get solos in the school choir/chorus/whatever.

Robin sighed, "Please d—"

"Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? In the lane. Snow is glistening. A beautiful sight. We're happy tonight. Walking in a winter wonderland~"

"We're in a cave! There's no—," Robin continued to protest.

"Gone away is the bluebird. Here to stay is a new bird. He sings a love song. As we go along. Walking in a winter wonderland~," Rei picked up.

"Aren't you forgetting a holiday?!" Robin asked.

"No….?" I said as Rei pestered Dylan.

"Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeoncomeon! Joinjoinjoinjoinjoinjoinjoin!"

"Thanksgiving!" Robin exclaimed.

"Thanks…giving?" I tilted my head, "That sounds familiar…"

"It's the holiday where you give thanks!"

"…OH! THAT holiday. Slipped my mind since the Annas are always selling Christmas stuff at this time."

"COMEONCOMEONCOMEONCOMEONCOMEON! JOINJOINJOINJOIN!"

"UGH! FINE!" Dylan threw his hands up in exasperation, "In the meadow we can build a snowman. Then pretend he is Parson Brown. He'll say: Are you married? We'll say: No man. But you can do the job. When you're in town…."

I ignored more of Robin's protests and Rei's happy cheers and continued, "Later on we'll conspire. As we dream by the fire. To face unafraid. The plans that we've made. Walking in a winter wonderland. Winter wonderland~!"

I heard Sumia giggle before she joined as well, "In the meadow we can build a snowman and pretend that he's a circus clown. We'll have lots of fun with mister snowman until the other kiddies knock him down~!"

Rei decided to finish, "When it snows ain't it thrilling? Though your nose gets a chilling. We'll frolic and play the E-Feroxi way. Walking in a winter wonderland. Yeah we're walking in a winter. Yeah we're walking in a winter. We're walking in a winter wonderland. Wonderland. Winter wonder—"

"Do you wanna build a snow—," Brandon rudely interrupted Rei. No one interrupts Rei. She pounced and punched him.

"NO! NO ONE INTERRUPTS THE REI! NO ONE!"

There was a collective sigh and a few chuckles from within the group.

* * *

After what seemed like hours, we finally made it out of the cave. We now call that Cave of Robin's Torment. Our lovely tactician—

"IT'S RAINING SUNSHINE! IT'S RAINING SUNSHINE! IT'S—!" Rei yelled out from everyone's favorite Christmas movie.

Robin interrupted her, "JUST. STOP. ALL OF YOU! QUIET! JUST FOR FIVE MINUTES!" He turned to Rei, "You're the most annoying midget I've ever met!" He turned to me, "Calm the fuck down, woman! Be serious for once!" Brandon, "STOP SINGING ABOUT RAINING TACOS! What the hell are tacos anyway?!" Dylan, "Stop being so cheerful! And quit the damn smile! I'm being blinded and it's pitch black out!"

Miriel, "No. You cannot dissect my brain to find the source of my amnesia!" Sumia, "Stop with the damn flower fortunes!" Sully, "Please continue to beat up Virion!" Virion, "Stop being so damn good at chess!" Stahl, "Stop yawning! It's annoying!" Vaike, "You better not have lost your axe!" Lon'qu, "Lissa is not going to kill you! She's harmless! Physically anyway…" Frederick, "Don't pick up anymore pebbles! The convoy weighs enough as is!" Lissa, "Stop pulling pranks! I'm done!" Chrom, "…Why didn't you stop any of this?"

….

"You forgot me…" Kellam's voice sounded.

"STOP DOING THAT KELLAM!"

"…"

"WHAT THE HELL ROBIN?!" Rei yelled, "You di—!"

"Rei," Chrom said, "Calm yourself. There's some truth there."

"Are you trying to say something?! You calling me short too?!" Rei said angrily, "I don't care if you're some prince, I will hurt you if you insult me!"

"…That's because it's true…."

"WHY YOU—!"

Screams pierced the air and turned our attention to a nearby village.

"Hey! Will you stop your squabbling?!" Sully yelled, "That village is in danger and it could've been prevented if we had just continued to march! But since you damn shitheads started fighting look at what shit happened!"

"The Vaike didn't do anything wrong!" Vaike complained.

"…*Yawn*" Stahl yawned.

"Well…Chrom is sort of right, Rei…" Dylan said.

"…..YOU JUST CALLED ME A MIDGET!" Rei yelled before jumping at Dylan

_Why author. Why are you doing this?!_

"You know…this all wouldn't have happened if Chrom didn't have an emotional attachment to that caravan. If Robin and I didn't have to explain to him why he couldn't take the caravan we could've left sooner and stopped this all from happening," I said.

"So you're saying this is my fault now?" Chrom asked.

"As if it isn't!"

"If you hadn't pissed off Robin we wouldn't—!"

"STOP IT!" Sumia yelled and shot glares at everyone. Everyone became quiet. Well, except Chrom and me…You could practically see the crackling electricity-eye-anime-effect-thingy…. "Why's everyone on edge today?! C-calm down!"

…

…

…

…

…

Rei and I began to laugh as everyone gave us odd looks. Well, I was 'maturely' laughing. Rei was rolling across that floor.

"L-look at us! We're at each other's throats as people in that village die. What's wrong with us?!" I used Chrom's shoulder to hold myself up. Why? Everyone one, but him moved away from the two laughing maniacs, "Come on, Sheepies! Let's go—Er I mean…Robin, plan. Now. Please?!"

Robin gave us a shit-eating grin, "I thought you'd never ask."

Wow. That's an improvement. I could've sworn that he had ripped a few patches of hair out in frustration…

* * *

"Milords!" A kid with a southern accent yelled.

Is that Donnel? I can see the bronze/copper/brass/whatever pot from here.

"Oh? What about the females, huh?!" I shouted, "Excuse me, but I don't think all of us are male here!"

"Feminism strikes back…" Robin muttered.

"Er…an' miladies!" He corrected himself, "Bandits 'ave attack my home town. There's a mess of 'em! Please milords! …An' miladies! You gots to help us!" (I apologize if I offended anyone with that sentence…)

"Of course…er…what's your name lad?" Chrom asked Donnel.

"Donny…er…That is Donnel," He replied.

Chrom turned to Robin expectantly as he nodded and said, "I can incorporate the kid into the plan. But there's one problem…How are we going to get down to the village in time? The grounds uneven and frozen over. There's most likely tons of snowdrifts to fall into…"

"Guess we're gonna have to show you how us Northerners do it!" I said.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Dylan asked excitedly.

"If you think what I'm saying is snowboarding!" I replied, "…Wait. You do know how to snowboard, right?"

"Yeah. I lived in Minnesota. Tons of snow there."

"Hm. No wonder…" I muttered.

"No wonder what?"

"N-nothing!"

"Ahem!" Robin cleared his throat, "Care to explain?"

"R-right! Snowboarding is a way to travel down hills or mountains. One needs just a board which could be made out of…," There's no fiberglass here…right? "Wood. Or a big piece of bark or something. It doesn't have to be durable, since we only need it briefly."

Robin nodded again, "Shepherds! You heard her! Get those boards ready!"

* * *

"All right, meet you at the bottom! Do try and keep up!" I yelled as I jumped off the edge and began my descent.

"Is that a challenge?" Dylan asked as he jumped off as well.

"Everything's a challenge," Rei muttered and jumped off.

"You get used to it. She's a bit of a one upper…" Brandon said as he joined us.

One by one the rest of the Shepherds followed. It was funny to watch some of them struggle. Chrom and Robin seemed to have it in the bag though.

Speaking of Robin, he caught up and passed me.

"Looks like this victory is mine!" The egotistical tactician said.

A little to the right there was a ramp shaped rock thing, "Are you sure about that, Tacty?!" I swerved over and leaped off, "'Cause I think I just passed you!"

"I don't think so!" I heard Dylan yell from behind as we watched him leap over us both and land in front.

"It's on, Sunshine!"

_I have water powers…right? Can't—That would be cheating. No._

"AHHHH!" Sumia yelled before tripping…and causing…an avalanche?!

"EVERYONE TAKE COVER!" Chrom yelled.

"I can't waste this opportunity!" I yelled back.

"Erin. Don't!" Robin said.

"Nah! Not that!" I looked over to Rei (who poofed next to us somehow along with Brandon), Dylan and Brandon.

* * *

**Flashback**

"So….There's these…guardians? And they're us?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah. Apparently," Rei said, "Power of the stars in our hands, huh. That's pretty badass, don't ya think?"

Brandon smirked, "So that's our purpose? To kick ass? I thought we already did that."

"Do you think Rei, the fire spewing demon, who runs around like a headless chicken, setting people on fire and instantly dying in a cramped place is badass?" I said before adding sarcastically, "Because that just definitely screams badass."

"Hmph," Rei hmphed while squishing her Mew plushy and somehow acquired Sylveon one.

I continued, "We do have some powers though. Think of our life as a couple hundred rounds of Smash Run."

Everyone sighed.

After a while Brandon spoke again, processing the part about Rei.

"Wow. That is true…" Brandon trailed off.

"GONZY! NO! STAHP IT!"

…

"This is your life?" Dylan asked.

"Yup. Takes a certain level of awesome to survive!" I replied.

There were footsteps from behind us before a gruff voice spoke, "What are you doing up at this our…?"

"Lon'qu!" I said.

"…"

"Lonny?"

"…"

"Lon-Lon?"

"…"

"Lonny'qu?"

"…"

"Lon'qu?!"

"What?! What do you want, woman?!"

"Hi!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Oh and one more thing!" I quickly leaned forward and poked his shoulder, "Can you be my gay best friend?"

"…" He turned and left the room.

"…That's a yes!" I cheered before stopping mid-cheer, "…That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for though…"

**Flashback End**

* * *

"You know what to do, right?" I asked the three.

"Yeah!" Rei cheered, "Let's do this!"

"On your mark!" Dylan said.

"…What he said!" Brandon yelled.

We had tried accessing our powers without trigger, but it hadn't been working. Whatever I pulled at the coliseum still worked though. So maybe…Well. We thought if we really wish for it it would work. Just enough strength or whatever for a single purpose. Sort of like Eren's ability in Attack on Titan. I need to chill with those references…It does fit though.

_Come on! Just enough to save them. Come on! _

A wall of air and water flew from my outstretched hands as air came from Rei's, water from Brandon's and earth (I don't know why…Maybe Capricorn's element isn't water, but air?) from Dylan's.

The assembled powers stopped the avalanche and the other Shepherds made it to the bottom unscathed.

Robin blinked a few times before steadying himself by using Chrom's shoulder. Awe. Besties already!

"…C-care to explain?"

We Hosts shared a glance before I said, "We'll tell you after we save this town. I promise."

* * *

The battle was extremely short. In fact, Anna had finished off most of the bandits while we were caught in that avalanche. Why was she there? Two paralogues I guess?

Currently we were pulled into an immediate 'meeting' in one of the houses. The kind of meeting that's only for Frederick, Robin and Chrom. Don't we feel special!

"Why didn't you say anything?" Chrom asked distrustfully.

I flinched. There was some anger in there. Why though?

"W-we just found out ourselves, Chrom," I quickly said.

"What exactly are you?" He continued.

"I'm human."

"You know that's not what I meant. If you can't trust us with the truth, how are we supposed to trust you?"

_T-trust? You trust Robin immediately, but you won't trust us if we have one simple secret?!_

Rei noticed my expression and continued so I wouldn't 'explode' as she put it, "Trust? I think we've earned that by now. What's one little secret when our tactician's past is a big mystery?"

Robin winced as Chrom moved his attention to him before looking back at us, "What do expect from someone who has no memories?"

"Exactly that. A. Big. Mystery."

Dylan, most likely wanting no part in this argument, decided to remain silent. Smart choice. So did Brandon. I've trained—Er I mean…Nothing!

"Chrom," I said, "Do. You. Trust. Us?"

"…If you'd just tell us what's going on."

"No. Forget all that. Do you trust us? Do you trust me?"

"…" He remained silent for a moment, "Of course."

"There's your answer. Just trust us. And we'll tell you everything. Trust can't be bought with truths. It's earned by actions. So throwing away such trust…Something so valuable because of one little thing…" I trailed off.

"…"

"…Basically. Something bad is going to happen," I explained, "That's where we all come in. We're the second line of defense if the gods fail. The Hosts. We each carry a small portion of our respective Zodiac within us. I'm Aquarius. Water Bearer and apparent leader of our little gang."

Rei spoke up, "Libra. I have a bit of OCD. Stuff must be even. Or I will find you and murder you in your sleep!"

Brandon rolled his eyes, "Pisces. Zodiac of 69…..Er….I mean…The two fish things."

Dylan shot Brandon a glare before speaking, "Capricorn. At your service. I'll be your endless supply of entertainment. Singing, comedy, you name it."

"Zodiacs…?" Robin asked, "Gods? So it's true. Gods exist…"

Chrom gasped, "Robin! Magical sword of epicness! Gods exist!"

Robin looked at Falchion, "Oh. Riiiiight. Yup. Mhm. 'Magical sword of epicness.'"

"Milord," Frederick said, "Robin, please do not refer to Falchion as 'Magical sword of epicness.'"

"Well…This conversation is nice and all, buuuuut I'm just gonna go now…." I said as everyone left.

"Erin," Chrom said.

I inhaled sharply before turning back to face him, "What is it, Princey?"

He furrowed his brow, "I trust you. I really do. Just don't do anything to betray that trust. Promise me that."

"I promise, P—Chrom,"

"You better not break it," He said with a chuckle, "Or Frederick might just kill you."

"…Hm. I've always wanted to be a shish kebab. An Erin Kebab. Yum," I added to his laughter, "Well…Nighty, night….I guess. Buona Notte!" I ran around the corner and to the inn.

Though it may have been nothing, I felt something. It felt familiar. An almost overbearing amount of…courage.

"I guess that's just his normal aura…I don't remember ever feeling that though. I suppose…I just never noticed?"

* * *

**? Third Person**

"Hm…Quite the interesting…development," A dark voice said as she looked into a purple orb, "It seems our little heroes have discovered their powers…"

She laughed evilly as she continued, "The challenge has just begun. Come, rise, you rotten corpses! You shall serve I, Gemini, now. For I am your new master…for now."

She sent the Risen down upon the town the Shepherds were in. They were armed with lit torches, which weren't really good things for the walking dead to hold…, and weapons to harm the Shepherds. There was something different about these Risen though…They…were super-charged in a sense.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

I awoke to sounds of screams again. I was hoping to get at least a few hours in before we marched. Seriously, though. What bandits are stupid enough to come back after we kicked their asses? …No. That can't be. We killed every single one.

"SHEPHERDS!" I heard Chrom yell, "THE VILLAGE IS UNDER ATTACK AGAIN! EVERYONE UP!"

"Oh, so the screams outside aren't a common occurrence? Thank you, Captain Obvious," I mumbled as I pulled on some form of clothes. Hm. Feroxi traditional fur swordmaster clothes it is.

…

…

They were just there! I couldn't resist!

I grabbed a newly acquired steel sword, slung a bow (I decided that I wanted to pick up archery) over my shoulder and ran out the door.

Once I was downstairs, I ran over to Robin.

"Hey, Robby, what's the plan?"

"…Are you good with that bow?"

"Nope. I'm absolutely horrible. I just bought it in Ferox."

He nodded as he closed his eyes in thought.

"I want you to head to the area with the most Risen, the church. They seem to be flocking there."

_That doesn't make sense…That's a church of Naga and these are Grima's servants…Unless…_

"All right," I nodded before asking, "Where's Rei, Brandon and Dylan?"

"They're on the outskirts of the village with Sully, Stahl and Sumia fending off the Risen."

I did a fist salute (After I saw Dylan do it in Ferox, I couldn't resist doing it every time I received orders), "Ok, Robby. Stay...egotistical? Bye-bye!" I turned and ran out to the church.

The Risen were crazy. For one they were faster. Their superhuman strength seemed slightly increased and they had a goldish tint. Like those Risen that give you tons of exp. Entombed, I think? And is that one running like that Abnormal from AoT Episode 6?

…I'm obsessed aren't I? This is a problem.

"Glad you made it," Chrom said as I took a position in front of the church.

"Well, there was the weird Risen running around like this," I demonstrated, "and I sort of just gawked at it before it ran into another one's axe…"

_Like in…a ton of the fights in the scarring Legend of Zelda telly series… 'Anime' if you want to call in that…_

"Please refrain from zoning out…" Frederick said, causing me to jump.

_I just pulled a Walter Mitty, didn't I?_

"R-right, sorry, Fredders!" I turned my attention back to the nearing Risen as Robin ran up to join us.

"Guys. I can't find Kellam…Also, why'd I get stuck with waking up Stahl?"

Chrom chuckled, "Because you're our tactician."

"And how—OH THAT'S AN AXE!" Robin barely jumped out of the way of an axe and engaged in battle with the Risen.

_I wonder…Can I water bend….OMG. THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!_

_**Reach into your pocket…**_

_Um…Okay weird voice in my head._

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a…water drop shaped locket…Huh. Okay. I put it on before running into battle.

_What was that for anyway?_

_**To establish a secure connection. I could only muster enough power to speak to you without it every few weeks. Now it takes a lot less power.**_

_That makes sense….Who're you?_

_**Are you that blind? Aquarius…**_

_Oh. Okay…_

I quickly engaged in battle with one of the 'Super' Risen. He wielded an axe and aimed a slash at my face. I quickly dodged and stabbed him with my sword. The little bugger shrugged it off and aimed another slash at my leg and actually made contact.

_Gods! These things…Their learning my movements!_

_**Stay unpredictable! Don't let it overpower you! If worse comes to worse though…**_

_What? If worse comes to worse what?_

I rolled out of the way of another swing—OUCH MY LEG!—before coming to my feet again. Which is hardly possible. Thank you, Krypton affect!

…_**Bending, as you call it…**_

_Really?! Aqua, you're awesome, you know that, right?_

_**It's something I strive to be.**_

Okay. Let's try this. Water bending…It can't be that hard…How'd they do it in Avatar? Katara would just focus on water appearing…right?

_**Stop dillydallying! **_

"OW! Gods!" I yelped, "Screw you too!

COME ON. I can't be badass yet? Damn laws of 'Smash Run.'

_**Great job! You got yourself cornered!**_

_Wow. You're very supportive._

I fell into a defensive stance as I stood backed in a corner. I am majorly screwed. Someone save me…

_**I could've told you that…**_

_Gee! Thanks, Aquarius!_

"Why don't you die, salope?!" An accented voice yelled—French, maybe?—as an arrow sprouted from its neck and it fell over before turning into black smoke, "Bonne nuit, enfoirés…" She muttered before jumping off the roof she had been on and landing in front of me.

…_**Sagittarius?**_

_Huh?_

"Thanks, miss," I said to her, "Who're you?"

She was a few inches shorter than me and had purple hair that was in two braided pigtails, pointed ears and wore a green dress with leggings. Is she a manakete? If so then where's her dragonstone?

"Miyaji. Don't sweat it."

"You have a French accent….Do you happen to be…?"

"Yes, I'm from Earth."

"How are you a manakete then? At least you won't make us all feel like pedophiles since you look like a teenager. Still, where's your stone?"

"Dragonstone? Never got one. Just poof and now I'm here. Sage told me to find the Shepherds."

"Sage?"

_**I believe she means Sagittarius. Normally, Hosts of Sagittarius are turned into manaketes without stones. Basically, what you call elves, so they can have a stronger connection to nature.**_

"What your friend said," Miya—I'm just going to say Miya, it's faster—replied.

"You heard Aquarius?"

_**The other Hosts can hear me as well. Once we established the connection you'll be able to communicate by yourselves mentally instead of through us Zodiacs. But it won't be with future Hosts, you have to have seen each other once.**_

"The world just couldn't make it easy, could it?" I sighed before turning to Miya, "Well. Let's get you set up with the Shepherds."

"How far have you progressed in the story?" She asked as we walked back.

"Don't say that so loud. The Shepherds don't know that we have that knowledge," I said, "We're on our way back to Ylisse from Ferox."

"I see."

* * *

"Erin? Who's this?" Chrom asked as we entered the inn. The rest of the Shepherds were also there.

"Everyone, this is Miyaji—!"

"Or Miya for short!" She interrupted.

"—She wants to join the Shepherds, so I brought her back here," Chrom looked like he was about to say something, "Before you ask, I can vouch for her. She saved me from a 'Super' Risen."

"Well, Miyaji," Chrom said, "It seems that you earned Erin's trust. Welcome to the Shepherds."

"Vaike!" Robin yelled at the bloke, "You owe me 50 gold!"

Vaike winced and coughed up his life savings…

"Aw! Damn it, Robin!" I said as I walked over to the tactician, "Why didn't you tell me about this bet?"

"Because you won the one with Anna and Donnel. I needed some pocket change after that. Vaike was willing to make a bet with me," Robin said as he counted the pieces, "Vaike. You're 25 pieces short."

Vaike pouted and gave Robin the rest of it.

Lissa came out of nowhere and laughed at Vaike, "That's what you get for placing bets, Vaike!"

Miriel adjusted her glassed from where she sat behind Vaike, "When one thirsts for gold, liquidize. Take a look at our…example of an irresponsible ignoramus…"

Sully chuckled, "Couldn't have said it better myself, Miriel….I think. I don't understand anything you say."

"*yawn* Who does?" Stahl asked, "Anyway…I'm gonna go get some shut eye…'Night, guys," He stood and went upstairs.

I yawned myself, "I spent too. It seems my night owl habits have left me…"

…

"…Nighty, night…"

* * *

**Phew! That didn't nearly take as long as I expected it to! I apologize if there are any annoying ang glaring mistakes, I don't have much time at the moment to read this over.**

**I hate to say it, but updates might become even less frequent until about January because I'm going to try out for my school's volleyball team (Volleyball is my life) and if I make it, practice will be almost every day for about two hours. Thankfully, the homework god has blessed me with the ability to finish all my homework before the school day ends. So I shouldn't fall behind. I also am doing tutoring and stuff so it may pile onto that…In short it's going to get even more busy and hectic for me!**

**In other news! MAJORA'S MASK REMAKE OMFG! I have been waiting forever for this! My sister sold the damn console before I could play it...Also that Mewtwo hype for Smash! Asjandjsdkasjdlaskalsk! So beautiful!**

**Anyway, if you enjoyed please leave a review or follow and favorite (I'm not expecting anyone to!) if you have not already!**

**Tcc away! (Thoaria. I don't mind being called that.)**


	10. Chapter 10: Horses, It Had To Be Horses

**Dun dun. Dun dun dun~! Dun dun dun dun! Dun. Dun. Dun! **

…

**Zelda theme! Is it relevant? No.**

**Word of advice. Don't go back to playing Pokemon Ranger games after years of not playing. I played Shadows of Almia for the first time since 2008…*sniff* So. Much. Nostalgia. And so addicting. **

**That's how delays happen…Catch my drift?**

**Anyway! Nothing to put here really…**

**Onto the chapter! Dun. Dun. Dun. Duuuuuun!**

**Chapter 10: Horses…It had to be horses…**

* * *

**Asuna's PoV**

I let out a sigh as I made my way through the forest. It was almost Thanksgiving and that would mean Aunt Maribelle's capture and rescue. That matter wasn't very important though. What would happen on the night of the annual Christmas ball was.

That was, from what Mother had told me, the night Aunt Emmeryn was and will be assassinated…If we didn't do anything. I remember her telling me and Lucina—Lucina and me, Mother would've corrected that—to run through the Gate of Time after giving us that information…Right before…She died at Father's hands…At least…I thought that was him. He died before I was born. Mother was surprised that the stress of it all didn't end my fetus-self's life/development…

She and Father had this whole argument on what my name would be…So in honor of him she named me what he had chosen…Ilithyia. Yeah. I know I said my name was Asuna. It's really a nickname I picked up over the years for my peerless skill with a rapier.

How do we know of Asuna? Simple. Mother and the people from her home told the Shepherds and thus we children know…

The trees began to thin as I neared the entrance to Ylisstol. Lucina's and my mission was to head here and lay low until we were needed. Then we would sneak in with the party guests or go in through that cleft in the wall that Lucina told me about. I believed it. I heard tales of Father breaking things and Lucina was very much the same.

"Ilithyia…" I heard a familiar voice call from the shadows of an alleyway near the entrance to Ylisstol, the once and still grand capital of Ylisse.

I turned to see none other than Lucina.

_Wait…There's someone else…Clara?_

"Oh! Hey, Sis!" I smiled at her before turning to Clara, "You too, Clara!"

The stern Pegasus Knight frowned before looking away. I couldn't blame her though…She made it her duty to watch over us and keep us safe after her father had passed on. The unfortunate thing was that she shared his serious and sometimes grim countenance. She had also taken over as commander of the royal pegasus knights since Aunt Sumia, Aunt Cordelia and Aunt Violeta were long gone. Well…She isn't dead, but since she's left in the future, she's considered "long gone".

"It seems that you've made it here safely. Do you know if the others are all right?" Lucina asked.

"Of course I did, Luce! Do you really think that I'm unable to protect myself?" I pouted as Clara spoke up.

"You seem to attract trouble, milady."

"Clara, stop with the 'milady' crap! We're friends, not your masters!"

Clara winced, "My father swore an oath to the House of Ylisse and I intend to carry out his wishes! Like it or not, I am not your equal and it is my duty to protect you!"

"THAT'S ALL?! THAT'S THE ONLY REASON YOU STICK AROUND?! TO SATISFY YOUR HONOR?! I-I THOUGHT YOU CARED ABOUT US AS PEOPLE! NOT YOUR CHARGES!" I felt my lip quiver. I've always been this way…Crying at the simplest thing. I guess it's from growing up in an apocalyptic future. Still I try to put on a brave face like Inigo.

…_Inigo…_

"Ilithyia! Stop this!" Lucina yelled, "You'll only draw attention to us!" I wiped my tears away, "She has her reasons! Now let's go before—!"

We heard the sound of quick footsteps as someone yelled, "Hey, Robin! Did you here that?"

…_That voice…_

…

…

_Mother…_

I let out a meep as my tears started again. My spontaneous crying had been happening less and less. It was almost completely gone. But when I think of Mother, I can't help but recall how brutally she died. No sound, no nothing. Just silent acceptance…

"It sounded like…" Robin said, "That 'Marth' girl."

"…'Marth'…" I heard a baritone voice that Lucina winced at, "I've been wanting to speak with her since we met her in the forest."

"Sounds like her voice came from this alley here," Mother said as she poked her head into said alley, "Hey! It _is_ you!" She looked back, "Hey, Chrom! She's down here!"

"Erin, I wish you didn't poke your head down random alleys. You don't know what's lurking there," Father sighed.

"C-Come on!" Lucina said as they bickered, "We have to go!"

"But—!"

"No! We have to go now!" She took my hand and pulled me down the alley as Clara blocked my escape.

"L-Lucina!" I cried.

"Just be quiet! FOR ONCE!" …She blew up. Lucy has blown up.

After that I remained quiet and tried to stop my hysterics as they pulled me away from me and Lucy's parents.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"I'm a big girl, Chrom," I mumbled as he entered the alleyway, "I can take care of myself."

"Everyone needs someone to look after them. That's sort of my job in the Shepherds."

"Ah, yes! The charismatic leader of the Shepherds, Prince Chrom of Ylisse, our babysitter!" I snarked, "May we bow to you, Lord Babysitter!"

"Yowch!" I heard Robin say, "Give the poor guy a break!" He paused, "And he could execute you for that! Offending royalty! We sort of need you alive."

"…" Well. Princey is very silent. He turned away from the alley and said with a creepy glint in his eye, "I won't kill her…" I let out a sigh of relief, "…Much."

"WHAT?!" I backpedalled and hid behind Rei…who was significantly shorter than me and laughing hysterically…This reminds me of the laughing sound effect in sitcoms…

I turned to Dylan, Brandon and Miya, seeking help. The three immediately pretended to be occupied with something else.

…_Traitors_

"Well, fellas! I wish I could stay and hang out…but I've got some stables and horses to clean!" I darted down the streets of Ylisstol and into the military district, turned right and entered the stables.

* * *

**?'s PoV**

"Big Brother?" My little sister said, causing me to look down at her.

"What is it, Noire?"

She clutched her bow and looked ahead as we made our way through the snowy lands of Ferox. From her body language I could tell that she was afraid to ask whatever it was.

"C-Could…y-you…sing…Father's song?"

I stiffened. This would be the first time Noire brought it up since he died. He would sing it to comfort us after Mother went crazy. She still loved us, but…Robin's death had impacted her and she tried desperately to find a way to bring him back. That led to her experimenting on Noire and me. Though I wasn't effected as much. Noire was always Mom's primary test subject.

Oh and Robin isn't our father. She just…has this obsession with him.

"Father's song…Why do you want me to sing it, Noire? We both know you'd sing it much more beautifully."

She looked down sadly and began to reach for her talisman.

I stopped her and sighed, "Fine, just don't touch that wretched thing. You know it's not good for you."

"…Thank you, Zane…"

You Are My Sunshine

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are grey_

_You never know, dear, how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

_The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping_

_I dreamt I held you in my arms_

_When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken_

_So I hung my head, and I cried_

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are grey_

_You never know, dear, how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

_I'll always love you and make you happy_

_If you will only say the same_

_But if you leave me to love another,_

_You'll regret it all one day_

_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are grey_

_You never know, dear, how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

_Please don't take my sunshine away_

Noire let out a soft cry and leaned into my side. She began to sniffle until full sobs racked her body.

I sighed, "Noire…I thought we were done with this…"

"I-I know…just *sob*….I miss them….so much….*sob*"

I rubbed her back and tried to calm her down, "After we safeguard our Gemstone, we'll find them. I promise."

"Really?"

"Screw what Gerome says. Families should stick together. It's not blood or who spawned who that binds us…It's our bonds that make us family."

"Brother…"

…

…

…

"Thank you…"

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Scrubbin', scrubbin', scrubbin', the stables! Scrubbin', scrubbin', scrubbin', the stables!

"Clean up~! Clean up~! Everybody, everywhere~! Clean up~! Clean up~! Everybody do your share~!" I scrubbed the walls, swept the floor, and cleaned the horses while singing this song on repeat all the while.

I turned to a random brown horse with white socks and a white line stretching from the center of its muzzle to just below its ears. It had blue eyes, long, wavy brown hair and appeared to be a Clydesdale.

"Wow! Aren't you pretty!" I patted the creature, but abruptly stopped, "Oh no! I feel the horse phase emerging! No, no, no, no, no, no!"

_**Actually, I was just playing the MLP theme song in your head to screw with you. You're perfectly sane…Or nuts considering that you are hearing voices in your head.**_

_Ohh…._

I continued to stroke the horse, "What's your name?" I searched for any sign of a name and recalled Robin saying "There aren't many horses in the stables. Maybe one or two. Their names are carved into the wood of their stalls".

_This one doesn't have a name…_

_**It looks like it's a gift from Father…**_

_Father?_

_**Poseidon…It seems that he favors you. He sent this mare.**_

_All of your siblings come from Poseidon? I wouldn't expect Sagittarius, a land lover, to come from the sea god._

_**Mother was cornered a few times…Eleven in fact. Much like Demeter…**_

_At least she popped out one kid willingly…_

_**I take pride in that…**_

"How about I name you…_Amphitrite?_" I said to the horse as she whinnied, "Amph for short. You like that, girl?"

_**Like…Father's other wife…**_

_No need to be so cold about it! She happens to be my favorite female immortal being after Athena….a-and you, of course!_

She butted her head into my side. I'll take that as a yes.

I looked around for a saddle. I spotted one on the wall and hauled it over along with the necessary tack. I got Amph ready, lead her out and jumped up and onto her back.

…_**Really?**_

_Yeah…I loved everything involving water. Then I found out my Astrological sign was Aquarius and was like "It makes sense! All of it~!"_

_**Well, don't I feel special…**_

* * *

**Clara's PoV**

…_Such insolence! Some princess she is…No. I can't think of her like that. She's been through too much; just as we all have. _

I looked over at both of my companions. The ones I were to always protect, aid and not hinder. Hindrance is a liability. Liability is hindrance. Friendship is meaningless. It is not necessary to carry out this task. My job. No; my livelihood.

Lady Ilithyia sobbed quietly behind a few crates as Lady Lucina tried to calm her while I stood watch. This was…normal in a sense. Lady Ilithyia would be upset by something and her big sister would comfort her as I watched over them from afar.

I know it may seem that I'm emotionless and that my life has no meaning other than watching over the princesses, but that really isn't true. My father's last words were to watch over the royal family. I never had much of a bond with my mother since she was always away on long trips with the pegasus knights to exterminate Risen in the far reaches of the continent…Well, continents.

Ylisse, Ferox, Valm and the half of Plegia that wasn't devoted to Grima joined and formed the Four Nations Alliance. It didn't matter what ethnicity or race you were; you banded together and fought the hordes of Risen. We watched over the young and guarded the weak. The surviving Shepherds raised the next generation of Shepherds that were to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Literally. After the first generation perished or went missing, Lucina rose to be our strong and courageous leader, much like the late exalt had been. Ilithyia became her cushion and our voice of reason despite her…interesting personality. She seemed to take after her late aunt.

Inigo became our shining sun of cheerfulness, Cynthia became our morale booster, Owain kept us entertained with his 'heroic' stories, Severa was our snark master, Serena kept her in line, Gerome was *snort* Batman, Yarne was, dare I say, our bunny, Brady gave us all tons of 'hit-head-with-staff' therapy, Laurent was the brains, Nah was our little sis, Noire was our 'grenade', Zane was our pessimistic and caring big brother figure, Kjelle kept us fit, Rory was our resident sci-fi nerd, Amelia was our Scot, Tauriel is our cute elfie…and there was Arianna, who was mostly in for the coin, and Bjieta, our valiant cavalier…My head really hurts now. I don't even think I got everyone.

Wait. Morgan…How could I forget the little ball of fun that was our tactician? Morgan, if it wasn't obvious, is Robin's daughter. She went missing a few months before we made the jump to the past. To now. We never knew her fate; just that she couldn't have died. She was strong. Stronger than most and had the brightest smile you would ever see in that apocalyptic hellscape.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!" I yelled as Amph raced through the training field before coming to a stop near Frederick, who seemed to be…OH NO.

Frederick turned and 'smiled', as much as a Frederick could, evilly, "Ah, so nice of you to join us."

"Huh? Wh-who? M-me?" I slid off the saddle and slapped Amph's butt—I can't think that with a straight face—to tell her to go off on her own.

Robin was lying on the ground, as was the rest of the Zodiac Crew, "D-don't you leave us!" He cried.

I turned to Fredders, "Actually, I have an idea for a more…fun workout," Frederick raised a brow, "How 'bout some VB?" His brow rose higher if possible, "Volleyball?"

…

…

"Mintonette?"

A light bulb seemed to go off in his head and he nodded, "That is a common game played by the soldiers and other residents of the military district.

Really? Hm…I guess I won't have to teach!

LINEBREAK

We began the game…I practically forced them to let me serve. I threatened, I tried to be scary and like the spoiled brat I was, I got my way! YAY! I apologize if none of that made sense.

Actually, the Shepherds, excluding the Zodiac Crew, were terrified. I knew I had a good serve, but…Krypton effect much? I think some were filing restraining orders for the future just in case. I can't blame them though~!

I'm pretty awesome~!

…

Right?

…

Right?!

…

RIGHT?!

…

Ooof! MY PRIDE!

The Shepherds simply watched as I fell to the ground after my mental quarrel, hands to my heart.

* * *

**Dylan's PoV**

_Well…That was an interesting development. Someone has, dare I say, problems…_

_**Same with all born under the sign of Aquarius. They tend to be a bit...strong in both mental areas. Smart…but crazy. They also tend to be space cadets.**_

_You said it, Capricorn. Aren't the others hearing this conversation though?_

_**I blocked the communication.**_

_Good. I don't want to be brutally murdered by Rei. She's a bit overprotective_

Since that attack on the town that we met Donnel and Anna in, we had each gained a link with our Zodiacs that was strengthened by a necklace or dog tag pertaining to our element. Mine was copper to symbolize earth, I guess. Rei's was sandstone, I believe, while Brandon's was a blue dog tag, Miyaji's was an emerald and Erin's was a cobalt gem.

Days had been slow as we had headed back to Ylisstol. When we would set up camp, I would spar with Lon'qu, chat with the "Zodiac Crew", as Erin had dubbed us, try to figure out these damn earth powers or draw little comics about the Shepherds in a sketchbook I picked up in the village.

"Dilly! Look out!" Rei yelled as I barely dodged out of the way of a rock.

"Rei…" I exhaled sharply before looking down at the petite girl, "Why? Why were you throwing stones?"

"Because deus ex machina!" Rei blurted out before running, "Er…I mean reasons!"

"Rei, what are you talking about?" I asked, but she was already gone.

I let out a sigh and looked at the rock that had been hurtling towards my head only moments before. I bent over to pick it up and get a better look at it. It was interesting and reminded me of those stones that controlled time in Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

_**~That looks like one of Chronos' times stones~**_

_Kronos? You mean the evil Titan of Time?_

_**~No. C-H-R-O-N-O-S. Chronos. The good variation of him~**_

_How can he be good?_

_**~I wouldn't offend my father and the one who gave you that gift~**_

_Father? I would never have thought that…_

_**~That's a story for another time. Now, focus on that stone. With it you can momentarily stop time and only those you wish to freeze will stop moving with it. Though its effects are immediate, it only lasts five seconds. Note that it also has a cool down period of one minute~**_

_That's not very useful…_

_**~It might help you in a pinch~**_

…

_**~By the way…I never really blocked communication~**_

_**~…And I'd run if I were you~**_

…_You didn't…_

"Oh, hello Dylan!" Erin said sweetly with a very creepy smile, "I'd like to have a _little_ _chat_ with Capricorn. Well…not a little chat per se…I want him to feel pain!"

_**CAPRICORN!**_

_Isn't that Aquarius?_

_**~Yes…~**_

_That means…._

_**~Run!~**_

_I suppose this is _a _use for the stone…._

* * *

**Brandon's PoV**

I'm going to pretend that all is normal and—Cordelia!

The knockout redhead seemed to be sorting weapons in the armory. Thinking she needed help, I slowly approached from behind. I can't leave a gorgeous lady to do all that work now, can I?

"Excuse me, miss?" I said, thankfully remembering that we haven't "met".

She quickly turned and stood, "Who are you? Are you one of the new Shepherds?"

"That I am," I looked at the weapons that were strewn across the floor, "Do you need any help? I couldn't help, but notice you in here after I barely escaped Frederick's Fanatical Fitness Hour."

"That certainly is a living hell," She held out her gauntleted hand, "Where are my manners? I'm Cordelia. Welcome to the Shepherds."

"Brandon, likewise. Er…and thanks…"

I'm not a people person, I'm nervous because of the very…pretty lady in front of me.

"Oh…" She looked at the floor, "I could definitely use that help you offered…All right. Just this once."

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"Ugggh!" I groaned as he seemed to teleport thousands of feet ahead of me again, "I give up!"

_**He owns a Timestone. There isn't much you can do.**_

_Isn't much I can do, my ass. _

…

…

_I'm bored….Off to punch training dummies 'til my hands are broken!_

_**Personally, I'd work on your sword skills…**_

…_Fine…_

* * *

Now…how is this supposed to work? I know I did well in the tournament, but…Meh. I was just winging it. I don't know if everything I did was correct. So here I am. Wailing at a training dummy until someone comes and corrects me.

AHEM

Until someone comes and corrects me!

…

Deus ex machina…

"Your stance is wrong…" I heard Chrom's voice from behind me.

Oh, how I love plot convenience!

"Spread your feet out more," He continued, walking to the other side of the dummy from who knows where, "And I wouldn't lean that way on your toes," He gestured towards my 'ready' volleyball stance.

"Huh…Oh. Okay…" I said, correcting myself, "Please, Lord Ba—Er, I mean Chrom—teach me your ways~!"

He rose a brow in 'what dafuq' and continued as he moved so he stood shoulder to shoulder with me, "Hold your sword out like this," He held out a practice sword like you would hold out a baseball bat to see if it was a good weight, "If your arm shakes, the sword's too heavy for you to handle."

I'm sensing a few movie clichés here, but okay…

I held out my iron sword, "Nope. Seems fine."

"All right. Now move your hands lower. You don't want too much of the pommel exposed, or it'll be harder to make quick motions."

I shifted my hands before turning back to him, "Like this?"

"No, that's too much," He said, seeming to have the patience of the gods, adjusting my hands, "There. Now take a practice swing."

I just stood blinking, spacing out as usual, before I came back to reality, "E-er, right…" and swinging at the dummy and leaving a clean cut where I hit, "Wow! I feel so awesome now…Maybe I can find Dylan and brutally murder him now…"

"W-what? Brutally murder?" Chrom asked.

I patted his shoulder and walked in the direction of the barracks, "It's too complicated for your young mind to understand!"

He replied with a "We're basically the same age…" but I ignored him and continued before remembering my manners.

I turned back briefly, smiled and gave a wave, "Oh and thanks for the pointers! I'll be sure to make use as I—Never mind~! Toodles~!" I turned and faced the barracks again and walked…happily. I dunno why, but I just feel happy…

_CAUSE I'M H—_**Ahem! Author notes time! **_But!_ **Not buts! I apologize for the lateness and slight shortness of this chapter! I've had VB practice all week 'til five, then I would have dinner and then I had a soreish throat and cold—Who doesn't have a cold?—and my mom made me go to sleep at like eight. EIGHT. Blasphemy! I did get away with a few twelve-o'clockers though. Still not my usual though…And I got Pokemon: Alpha Sapphire…Oh, the nostalgia!**

**Anyway! Here's some shorts! I may or may not have a few every chapter. Depends on what goes through my mind as I write or what happens with my crew…They inspired some of the ones last chapter. Much like the first one.**

* * *

Chrom: *cough*

Rei: *cough*

Brandon: *cough*

Dylan: *cough*

Lissa: *cough*

Everyone, but Erin: *cough*

Erin: EBOLAAA!

Shepherds: What?!

Erin: *cough*

…

…

Erin: Oh f—*cough*

* * *

Erin: SERVICE! *Serves ball*

Lucas: Guys it's coming in! Get on it! Go—*screams creative words*

Brandon: Ooff….Right in the place where the sun doesn't shine.

* * *

Erin: But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo! What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here!

Rei: You said it!

Chrom: Frederick?

Frederick: Yes, milord?

Chrom: I think that fort on the Plegian border with the…special people is needed.

Frederick: Already on it, milord

* * *

**Whoever guesses what the next few ones are referencing is awesome! This show is not on anymore, but was my fav when I was younger...I couldn't let go...**

* * *

Lissa: You know, there are more important things in life than free meat.

Chrom, Robin and Erin sitting around campfire: Yeah, not really.

* * *

Brandon: *duct taped to chair* Why did you tell them where the duct tape was?

Erin: *also duct taped to a chair* I-I don't know! I was _trying_ to be helpful!

Rei: *also, also duct taped to chair* I have no comment...

* * *

Rei: It's not in the fridge.

Erin: Ugh! You promised you'd stop drinking milk in the shower!

Rei: You can't change me!

* * *

Rei: One spoon! Two spoons! Whoa! Three spoons! Four spoons, five spoons! This is not entertaining!

* * *

Random villager: You're crazy! *hits Erin with umbrella*

Erin: *crumples to floor* Ahh!

* * *

Erin: Let's get some real money out of this guy…

Rei: Yeah, that's my girl! *Pats Erin's head*

* * *

Erin: *speaks some Italian smack at rude person*

Dylan: Where did you learn that?

Erin: My mom likes Italian shows…

Dylan: Of course…

Erin: Like really loves Itali—

Dylan: I got it.

* * *

Erin: Well, you just need to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air! *Opens curtains to thunder storm*

Rei: ….Only things that are fresh are those bolts of lightning…

* * *

Rei: *opens random door* Gibbaaaaaaay! 'Sup people!

Chrom: We're going to a mental hospital. *gestures at Erin*

Rei: *pumps fist* Yes!

* * *

**And that is all…I meant no offense in any of this, so I apologize if anyone was offended. Really. Truly.**

…

**Really…**

***goes into fetal position with 3DS and…***

**OH! WAIT. Like I said before, I just got P: AS, so if anyone else has it and wants to battle or trade or whatever, I'll send you my FC via PM. Just ask!**

**(Note: I haven't had time to read this over, so apologies if I have some glaring mistakes. This was also a bit rushed due to the small window of time that I had every day. I'm a bit behind on my mental update schedule…)**


	11. Chapter 11: This Is Why Ricken

**Happy Thanksgiving, my readers! It is time for my attempt at a Thanksgiving Special! And for some progress! But…first! **

…

…

**Nothing. **

**TO THE GUEST THAT KNEW WHAT THE SHOW REFERENCED WAS: You. Are. Awesome. Like so awesome that awesome can't compare to how awesome you are. Love that show with a burning passion and it definitely has a place in my heart.**

**I'd like to thank Tumer (owner of Dylan and author of ****Coexistence****) again for the help with making this possible. I have **_**no **_**imagination. Laugh. **_**Laugh**_**. It was a joke!**

**Anyway! With any further ado, the chapter! **

**Chapter 11: This Is Why Ricken Doesn't Have Some Form Of Power…**

**Erin's PoV (In the barracks)**

"So…."

"So…."

"_Sooo….._"

"It's Thanksgiving…Now tell me more about yourself," I chirped, having gotten over what happened the other day.

"Well…" Dylan started, "Thanksgiving always reminds me of that one Twilight Zone episode…"

"…Please elaborate. I never watch those types of shows. I'm more of an anime or comedy person," I replied, "Actually, don't try to explain it. I need to see it in order to understand it."

"So you're _that_ person. No imagination?"

"Oh, I have a big imagination. Right now I'm imagining many different ways to…." I blinked, "I was about to say "to drive your head into the ground", but that would be mean. I'm a nice person."

"Nice is one word for it…I'd say conceited."

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood…."

"Never thought of Thanksgiving as a "good mood holiday"."

I gasped, "Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday! Second only to Christmas and my birthday!—"

"Your birthday isn't—"

"—It may as well be! We give thanks to our friends and…" I stopped abruptly, looking down, "family….I-I'm gonna…gonna…go now…" I turned and retreated to my room.

I passed various crates and paintings on the way. Despite it being a fort, it was decorated just as much as the palace. I never knew the Shepherds were held in such high regard. I guess it makes sense though. They're friggin badass. Especially—Gods, I really am conceited.

As I reached my door, my thoughts drifted back to my family. I had distracted myself enough on thy way here. It is now time to let it—go—er…out. Let it out. I slowly turned the doorknob—we're too cool for fancy handles—and entered the room. Trudging across the floor, I threw myself onto the comfy—that's right. _Comfy_—bed and waited to be overloaded with feels.

They didn't come.

Wait!

Okay, they came. For a minute I thought I was schizoid or blunted.

I reached my arm over to the nightstand and fished for my phone. I needed some tunes to drown out my sadness. Actually, scratch that. I need a good cry…How about…"I Miss You". The Boyz 2 Men version.

_I wish…I could go back…Maybe…just maybe...Before I become attached…._

* * *

"…Wish you say? Maybe I could make some fun out of this…" A redhead smirked, "Nothing that, Ate, the goddess of mischief can't handle…"

She pulled a box from who knows where and made it go 'poof'! It then landed at Erin's door…and at the feet of an unsuspecting boy.

"Hyaggh!" Ricken cried as he tripped over the box and landed hard on the floor, "Stupid oversized feet…Huh? What's that?" He looked over at the small box, "So that's what I tripped over? I wonder what's in it…" He picked it up and stood before tripping again, "Gods! I wish my stupid body was proportional to my feet! Tall people have big feet, right?"

_**RUDE!**_

"Who was that?"

…_**.**_

"Must've been my imagination…" He continued to walk down the hall but stopped abruptly when his hat touch the ceiling….His hat _touched_ the ceiling. In fact, it was almost flat up against the ceiling. He reached up and pulled it off before panicking and trying to find a mirror.

He ran down the hall and found his room, stepping inside. Turning to the mirror, he gasped at the drastic change in his size. Thankfully, his clothes seemed to have grown with him.

"D-did I—What's with my voice?!" Ricken noticed his voice as a bit deeper as well. His features were sharper and his baby fat was gone.

His first thoughts after seeing this?

"Where's Maribelle?"

With that the short-not-short boy-man ran out of his room and—

"Oof!"

* * *

"Oof!" I was immediately knocked onto the floor, "Hey! Watch where ya goin', bub!"

_Did I just…Damn you, New York roots!_

"S-sorry!" A new voice whimpered.

It was kind of cute…NO! Stahp it! Nao!

"I-it's fine…Have met before?" I asked as he offered me a hand, which I took of course, and helped me up.

"Eh…Yes, Erin."

I peered closer at the guy, "Holy fuck…Ricken?" I gave him a quick onceover before circling him once, "You hit that growth spurt hard…Yeah…You don't look too bad either."

"Er…Ah…Th-thanks, I guess…" He stuttered.

"…As much as I'm enjoying this…We have a problem. You are big. It has been _two_ weeks. It isn't humanly possible to grow this much in that much time," I looked down the hall cautiously, "To Miriel!"

I dragged him down the hall to Miriel's room. Fortunately, her room was only a few doors away from Ricken. Correction: rooms. She had four whopping rooms for all of her sciencey stuffs. Crrraaaaaazy!

"N-no! I can't go back there!" Ricken protested, struggling against my iron grip.

"Aren't you her apprentice or something?"

"Yes, but she…she starting running tests on my shortness the other day…"

"That's terrifying," I said as I pushed open the door, "Miriel? Take Ricken and figure out how the cute shortay became so tall and...This," I shoved Ricken into the room, slammed the door and ran. I did not want to get caught up in that mess.

…

"Then what will I—"

"What's going on here?" Chrom—who came out of freaking nowhere—asked, "I heard screaming."

"Yeah!" Lissa ran up from behind with Sumia and Vaike.

"Just point in the direction and the Vaike will handle it," Vaike then flexed…

"What Vaike means to say is; we'd like to know what happened," Sumia explained.

"Something happened? Ha…ha…N-nope! N-nothing at all guys!" I laughed awkwardly before leading them in another direction, "Just carry on with your ordinary lives…I'm…uh…gonna go clean the stables now!"

_**You are a horrible liar…You're worse than Lissa.**_

_And where were you before?! _

_**Coffee break.**_

_Zodiacs don't get coffee breaks! By the way, I happen to be a great liar!_

"Oh, do you want help?" Sumia asked.

_**HA! I'd like to see you get out of this!**_

"N-nope! I can handle it!"

"You sure?" Chrom asked.

"Positive!"

"Really and truly?" Lissa asked.

"I just need to organize stuff…I got it covered…"

"You might need some of the Vaike's muscle!" Vaike bellowed.

"GYAAAGH!" I screamed in frustration, "I. Can. Handle. It! Work is the best way I…"

Chrom rose a brow, "Best way you what?"

"N-nothing! Bye!" I ran down the hall.

* * *

"All right! All done!" I pumped my fist as I looked around the spotless and tidy stables that would be dirty again by tomorrow at dawn, "What else could I do…Let's see there's…FFFH…No. Not going through that hell again. Go on an adventure on horseback through the Ylissean countryside? Nah. Too cliché."

"Hey! Neri!" I heard Rei call my nickname as she ran in, "The Shepherds are getting the food ready for the Thanksgiving feast."

"Okay! I needed more work to distract me!" I walked out with Rei as she looked at me curiously.

"Hey…What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Rei."

She pouted, "Nope. Something's wrong. Your shoulders are lower than usual. Gaze is fixated forwards. And you aren't doing your infamous speed-walk."

"You know me best…I miss my family. Thanksgiving was always our biggest holiday after Christmas. Everyone would bring horrible homemade dishes. We would puke at how gross everything was, laugh at Uncle Bernie and play our traditional game of hide-n-seek even though we were way too old for it. The little kids would always hide in the closets and then Mom would yell at them…Then Uncle Bill would get drunk off his ass and my aunt would panic and call the cops on him…"

"Yeah…I miss everyone too…but it can't be helped. We're here now and that's what matters. Protecting Ylisse."

"It's funny, isn't it?" I asked, "A bunch of videogame nerds are now protecting a medieval country from desolation. Ha! Even the thought of the both of us! Two dorky schoolgirls that are charged with taking part in saving the world by becoming part of the famous Shepherds!"

"The world has a funny way of working doesn't it?" Rei smiled, "Well! Enough moping around! Come on! Let's go!"

I nodded and she pulled me through the military district and to the garrison so we could help keep Sully from burning the turkey.

* * *

Ricken cowered in a corner, clutching the box, as Miriel stepped closer, syringe in hand. He raised the box defensively as she advanced again.

"N-no! Miriel! No!" Ricken cried, "I wish you weren't a mad scientist! Just plain mad!"

Miriel dropped the syringe and donned a very, very creepy grin. She threw off her glasses and reached for…a knife.

"Shall we dissect you instead?" She asked creepily before cackling.

Before she could move any closer he pulled out his Elwind tome and blasted her before running.

* * *

Thanksgiving with the Shepherds was different, but still the same in a way. Emmeryn apparently invited them for a feast every year. I, of course, had no objections. Palace cooks make yummy food. Fortunately, we stopped Sully from trying to help.

We had finally finished preparing—apparently they eat at four—and began to give thanks. Each Shepherd at a time until they finally reached me.

"What am I thankful for?" I asked as everyone turned to me, "Well…I've never been good at saying thanks. So…um…I guess my friends and—"

"Your Grace!" Phila interrupted, running into the dining room, "Forgive me, but I have dire news!"

Emmeryn immediately stood, "Phila, be calm. What has transpired?"

"Plegians. They're inside our southwest border. They razed a village in Themis and captured the duke's daughter."

Rei groaned audibly, "Worst possible timing…"

I kicked her under the table, "Rei, be respectful. Maribelle's been captured and will probably be put to death unless Gangrel is paid ransom. He'll probably also claim that she invaded Plegia."

"B-but he wouldn't do that, right?" Lissa said hopefully, tears forming.

"Lissa, this is the Mad King we're talking about," Chrom said, "He wouldn't be that merciful," He looked to Emmeryn, "The Shepherds will march to Themis immediately. We'll put a sword in that bastard's gut and be done with it."

The Shepherds murmured to each other before Emmeryn interrupted.

"No. We must keep our wits about us, Chrom. We cannot risk starting a war. I will offer parley."

Brandon winced, deciding to play along obviously, "Milady, please forgive me, but we can't do this. Yes, another war would be pretty bad…but would you trust him in an act of good faith? He is mad after all. He hates Ylisse with a burning passion. If you were to offer parley it would most likely be a trap."

Phila nodded, "I agree with the Shepherd. We have to show them that we aren't peace-loving fools. They need to know that their actions have consequences. Please reconsider!"

Emmeryn's face gained a small frown that was very out of place, "You remember the events of the first war just as clearly as I do, Phila. Sons and daughters died. We almost lost a whole generation. Ylisseans were left homeless. You've heard the saying, right? "In peace, sons bury their fathers, but in war fathers bury their sons". That's what will happen if we take part in another war."

…Um…Everyone's silent…Now to use the skill that always gets me in trouble. Rebelling teen is a go.

"But wouldn't that still happen if didn't defend ourselves against Plegia?" I began, "Peace does not last forever, Your Grace. There cannot be peace without a war first and vice versa. It's merely the eye of the storm when you think about it. Plegia would eventually take control of the forts along the border and slowly work their way in. Maybe they'll even corrupt a few Ylissean soldiers, yeah? For a fine bit of coin some men would do anything."

"Don't you see? War can't be avoided. And in turn, peace can't be either."

Emmeryn closed her eyes and thought on this before responding, "So we either choose to march to war or leave Lady Maribelle to die?"

…_? I could've sworn that she said more after that…Point; Erin!_

"No. I will not accept that."

…_Never mind._

Phila bowed her head, "Forgive me, Your Grace. I spoke out of turn. I know you will always stand by your own principles. Pray, allow the pegasus knights to accompany you, though."

"I'm going too. Someone has to save your from your good intentions," Chrom said without hesitation.

"Yeah!" Lissa said, "I wanna be there for you and Mari!"

"Hey! Don't forget about the Vaike!" Vaike said, "…And the other Shepherds, of course. We'll keep you safe!"

Chrom gave a small smile, "All right, everyone! Get packed! We leave for the border in an hour!"

"YES SIR!" We all said with fist salutes. Who knew Sunshine was a trendsetter?

Emmeryn laughed softly and looked to Frederick who was seated next to Chrom, "Those are some fine soldiers you've trained."

"Th-thank you, milady. I make it my duty to lead them in daily warmups—"

"HELLS!" Someone yelled.

"—and watch over their wellbeing."

Emmeryn smiled, "I'm glad that Chrom and Lissa's safety is in your hands."

Frederick became very deep red and excused himself.

_AWE! SHIPPED!_

* * *

**Earlier with Maribelle…**

"Father?" I asked, having heard a loud bang as we sat at the dining table in our villa, "What was that sound?"

He was already standing, running a hand through his blonde hair, "It seems as if the outer walls have been breached…Plegia is making its move."

"P-Plegia? How dare those brutes strike here, of all places?"

For once, Father was without an answer. He was never without an answer, nor did he ever have poor judgment, but that bit is irrelevant.

"I have a theory," He replied after a moment, "…Maribelle, get your horse and leave."

"W-what?" I stuttered, "Why must I? My place is next to you, Father!"

"Maribelle, listen to me. You must leave here. Your place is in Ylisstol. In safety. My place is protecting the citizens."

"But—"

"Now, Maribelle."

"Y-yes, Father," With that I turned and fled from the room, running down the stairs, out the door and into the stables to get to my horse.

I quickly saddled her up, grabbed a staff, tome for protection and fled…

Towards that border.

I may not seem like it, but I deeply care for every one of the people that live in our large dukedom. I was going to defend them at all costs or I'm no Shepherd. We defend the weak and aid the strong.

Soon I was at the edge of the flames that were spreading through the large city. It wouldn't take long to reach the villages that bordered the outer walls and Plegia.

I kicked my horse's sides and urged her into a gallop. I mustn't dally any longer. People's lives depended on it.

As I said before, I was heading to a village that bordered the outer walls and Plegia. Themis is grand city that is made up of smaller villages. Most of our villages, unfortunately, lay very close to the border that Ylisse shares with Plegia, making them targets of those heathens. And the fact that my house is known as the most influential noble house in Ylisse is all the more reason for Plegia to attack Themis.

I pulled my horse to a stop at the border. A little ways away was a man with vulgar armor that consisted of a bull's skull helmet, leather vest and a bear skin cape. How barbaric.

"…Oh? What 'ave we got 'ere?" The man turned, stepping forward, "Now lass, why don't you come with me?"

"As if I'd even think of a plebeian like you. Stand back or I'll be forced to maim you," I said, raising a thunder tome. Every healer must have a form of defense.

"Ha, ha! You're quite the ballsy one, aren'tcha? You'll fetch some fine bit of gold in the markets!" He continued to move forward as I pulled my horse back.

"Do you even know who I am? You'll be lucky to have a merciful death if you take me hostage."

"Aye, I know your snooty noble type. Doesn't matter to me. Merchandise is merchandise."

"Hmph! I think you should check where you stand, troglodyte!"

He chuckled darkly as a maniacal voice sounded behind me, "No, bird, I think you should check where you stand or you might just become caged~!"

I whipped my head around and saw the ugly mug of the Mad King. Before I could even move, the dastard cackled.

"Get her, boys!"

_Boys?_

"Tie her up. It seems as if we have leverage…."

Mages showed themselves and surrounded me with tomes raised. Thankfully, they only had wind tomes from what I could see.

After a moment I yelled, "Thun—" but was interrupted by lightning striking the book and knocking out of my hand.

_Wh-what?! That's…That's a rare Levin Sword. How'd madman get his hands on one?!_

"Goodnight~!" Thunder struck again, this time hitting me and knocking me off my horse.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"March, march, marchity, march. Lalalala," I murmured, riding on Amph, ready to bash my head against the mountain. This was so _boring_. Think of walking through the city, how boring, crowded and dangerous it feels and triple it.

"Hey, Neri," Rei whispered, "Do you think Ricken will succeed?"

"Of course he will," I whispered back, "Enough of that…What's that in your hand?"

"Oh," She returned to normal volume, "Just a little thing Stahl found when I helped him look for herbs before. It's a leaf that's coated with dried sap. Amber, right?" I nodded, though I didn't really remember that fact, I just wanted her to keep talking, "Isn't it neat?"

"Shipped~" I hummed.

"HEY! Quiet you!" She pouted before smiling evilly and looking around, "I ship you with…" She frowned again, "You don't have any sort of bond with any of the dreamboats in the arm yet, do you?"

"Hmph! I'll have you know; there's only _one_ dreamboat in this army!"

Rei's eyes widened, "And who's that?"

"I haven't met him yet."

Rei sweatdropped and ran off towards Miya. Support or friendship, maybe?

OH! RIGHT!

I didn't exactly explain the scenario yet, huh. Well, basically, Emm was on her way to parley with Gangrel. Pegasus knights flanked us, soared above us, followed us miles back and flew miles ahead of us to make sure all sides were guarded from a possible Plegian ambush. As the story dictates, that didn't happen yet.

Robin had moved to the front and looked like he was really worried about Maribelle as he talked with Emmeryn, Chrom, Lissa and Frederick. Dylan stood a ways behind me, talking with Lon'qu (my gay best friend. I am never letting that go) and Gonzy. To my left, as said before, Rei was conversing with Miya. Sumia was flying above us with a pegasus knight that I didn't recognize. Oh, she just landed next to Frederick. Let's see what she's about.

"Commander Frederick, Captain Phila, there's wyvern riders approaching from the north. What do you suggest? I don't think that they're simply the Mad King's honor guard," She said with a surprisingly strong voice despite her dainty flower-like appearance.

"That is a problem," Frederick grumbled, "Thank you, Violeta."

"A pleasure, sir!" She saluted before turning her pegasus around and taking off again.

I only caught a small glimpse of her, but I could tell that she had purple eyes and light brown hair that was half up, tied by a light blue and white bow. She wore a white scarf and light blue pegasus knight training armor. She looked a lot like my sister, but I knew it wasn't her, unfortunately, since my sister was a tree like me. This Violeta girl was average at best.

* * *

"UGH!" Lissa groaned/moaned/something as I gravitated towards the front of the group with Rei, "I've got blisters the size of eggs!"

Robin nodded, "I don't know how you do it, Chrom…"

"You're just out of shape, Robin~!" I sang, "No more books for you!"

Robin replied, "You're riding a hor—"

Rei smirked, "Then our tactician would be useless and we'd have to feed him to those fire breathing scorpions that we keep in the basement of the Shepherds' HQ."

"…." Lissa joined in, "Rei! You weren't supposed to tell him about that _un_important detail!"

Robin seemed to shrink, "F-fire breathing scorpions?

I nodded, "And there's some Risen that can ride wolves locked in Miriel's supply closet."

"R-Risen rising wolves?!"

"And roaches from hell in Lissa's secret prank supply stash."

"H-Hey!" Lissa cried, "You weren't supposed to mention that!"

Chrom sighed, "What did I say about bothering Robin?"

"What _did_ you say?" I wisecracked.

He remained silent, but really looked like he had something to say.

Phila glared at us. I wonder why…

Oh! Gangrel, okay!

So Gangrel has shown himself. Maribelle should be…

"…Oh yes, that little blonde brat," Gangrel said.

_That whole conversation happened while I was talking? _

Gangrel looked to Maribelle as she struggled against her bonds, "Ugh! Unhand me!" The Plegian behind her strengthened his grip, "You…you gutter-born troglodyte! Unhand me!"

"MARIBELLE!" Lissa yelled, running towards her friend before being stopped by Chrom.

"Lissa, don't. We need to handle this matter carefully," He said as she pouted.

Aversa continued her speech or whatever. I was barely paying attention to it, "This girl crossed the Plegian border without our consent. And what's more... She wounded the brave Plegian soldiers who sought only to escort her safely home."

Maribelle shook her vigorously and shouted, "LIES! You speak nothing but lies, hag! Did they not teach the meaning of the word "truth" in wretched-crone school?!"

"Point one: Maribelle…" I muttered, earning a laugh from Rei.

"...You see? No manners at all. Such a nasty little bird simply had to be caged," Aversa said.

_Gee…I really wish that they'd deviate from the script. _

_Blah, blah, blah…More script?! Game! Why you do this?!_

…

…

…

…

_That is one bloody brigand. Is he o—No he's dead. Point: Chrom!_

And there's Ricken! He just snuck around and—WHAT?! He failed. He friggin failed. Mari's fucked….

"Oh? Who's this?" Aversa sneered at Ricken who was now flat on his back, "Your little boyfriend?"

"R-Ricken…What…" Maribelle looked him over, still tied up, "are you doing here?! And what happened to you?!"

"I…just wanted to save you, Maribelle. I just wanted to bring you back to Ylisse. And then all this happened…I just wish that everything was back to normal and that the exalt, pegasus knights and Shepherds were back in Ylisse."

_**HMPH…I'll make an exception this once midget…Maybe I'll even rid the land of the Plegian soldiers as well…**_

"…?"

* * *

"WHAT?!" All the Shepherds yelled in shock after Ricken told them of his wonderful adventure.

"So…you became all grown up?" Stahl asked.

"He looked like quite the keeper," I added, "Too bad…"

Ricken became very red. AWE!

"And it was thanks to you that we all escaped unharmed?" Maribelle asked, "You have my thanks."

Ricken rubbed his sheepishly and looked to Robin, "Actually, Robin was the one who told me of your capture. If he hadn't planned that sneak attack or even told me of the expedition, you guys may have been stuck there for a long while."

"…Oh…I-I apologize for the other day…I was simply…" Maribelle said, "Look at me…Composing myself in front of you…What I mean to say is; you have my humble thanks! Thank you, Robin."

Robin smiled, "Anytime Maribelle. I can't let my friends get hurt, can I?"

"You think of me as a friend?" Maribelle asked, looking a bit red, "I suppose that we're a bit intimate…"

I continued to listen in on their conversation like a creep as I sat at a table in the barracks with the Zodiac Crew. Love that name…No. Brady Bunch. Let's do it. Nah…They'd probably all kill me.

"Remember what I said about that Twilight Zone episode?" Dylan asked after a moment.

"Yeah?"

"This place has some crazy logic. That's almost the events exactly. The premise I mean. Person gets three wishes blah, blah, blah."

"Hmm…Well, this is Thanksgiving after all…Though, I'm a little disappointed that we couldn't beat up those Plegians. They deserved it for capturing Mari…"

"Violence isn't everything…"

"I swear; if you give me that lecture, I will murder you."

"It was just a statement."

"Sure it was…"

And so everything returned to normal. Ricken was small and Miriel wasn't mad anymore...WELL. She's still pretty mad, but...

* * *

**AND DONE! I am so sorry that his is out **_**two **_**days late! I was trying to catch all the Pokemon in the Hoenn region that could be found with the DexNav in Alpha Sapphire. Lovin' it. So obviously; this is how delays happen…I know the end is a bit half-assed too, but….but ORAS! And RWBY…And Legend of Korra. I needed to get back to watching those masterpieces.**

**If you can, please leave review. It's kind of discouraging when you post a chapter and you don't get a constructive review. I know this is sounding needed and blah, blah, but see it from my perspective...It doesn't have to be sugar blossoms and fairies, it could be pointing out everything wrong or just calling it crap. I just want to know what the people reading it are thinking and if I'm doing this right. How can I know that if I don't get feedback?**

**Anyway, toodles! I was going to say something else, but I forgot what it was! I'll probably replace these sentences later! I think it was a bonus...UGH TIRED. It'll be in the next chapter...maybe.**


	12. Chapter 12: Holiday Bash Gets Crashed

**Well…I honestly don't know where I'll get with this chapter…Maybe a glorious character development chapter? I dunno. Time will tell and I apologize if this comes out later than expected. My week is loaded with practices and three games.**

**Also a very certain fanfiction has been distracting me. If you enjoy this, Asleep and Decruited, you'll love this. It's called The Realm of the New God by ThatOneSelfInsertGuy. Check it out! It's really cool! **

**Okay! I've made a decision here. Christmas special it is 'cuz I'm dry out of ideas for this chapter. I haven't had much time to think on this and I really want to get to a certain chapter to put a certain idea into play.**

**I've got Skillet, Imagine Dragons and some Fire Emblem Awakening themes on the same playlist. Let's do this!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Holiday Bash Gets Crashed**

EEEE! It's Christmas Eve! My favorite time of the year! I got my pajamjams—pajamas—ready!

Currently, I was in the barracks, trying to put up a tree that I may or may not have pillaged from the royal gardens. Thankfully, no one saw me attempt at this or I would never have lived this down. Er…Thoughts that are jumbled be jumbled.

Anyway, I was stringing the lights—powered by thunder magic—onto the tree. That was until I heard a boom from outside. It was the middle of the day, so I knew this definitely wasn't the assassination attempt. Still; I rushed outside to see what was wrong.

There sprawled on the floor was a female, brown-haired noble that was wearing something akin to the default female Avatar in Fire Emblem: Heroes of Light and Shadow.

"Ughh!" She said with an accent, "It's no use! I'm not fit for this!"

"You'll get it in time, Krysta…Except you don't have much of it…"

Oh, is that Chrom? Did _he_ do this? Guy has no restraint, does he?

"I'm sorry, Chrom, but I won't be able to perform this this year like my sister used to," Krysta replied.

Perform? What? I'm curious, so I'm gonna be that self-insert and interrupt!

"Scusami, but, uh, I hope you didn't break her…" I said, "I mean, what's up?" They both turned their heads towards me, "Because it looks like you're completely owning this lass."

* * *

"Oh…" I muttered as the three of us set in a table in the barracks, "So your father rules the dukedom that resides in eastern Ylisse?"

Krysta nodded, "Yes."

"And you perform in a duel against Chrom every year?"

"Well, my sister did it each year before now and it's more like a Sword Dance than anything else."

"Unfortunately, she's had trouble mastering it," Chrom said.

"I'm just not physically fit, nor am I coordinated. I'm a musician, not a swordswoman," Krysta's blue eyes sparkled sadly, "And if I don't do this, I'll bring shame to my house. It's been tradition that the daughters of the head of my house partake in this."

"Why though?" I asked.

"To pass on the story of my ancestor, Lady Kris. The Hero of Shadow."

"Well….That sucks," I said, "I wish I could help…"

…

…

…

…

"That's it!" Whoa! Chrom! Chill! "Now that I think about, you two look a lot alike."

_Oh. Shit. He's going all Princess and the Pauper on me, isn't he?_

…

_Don't ask._

"Why don't you just take Krysta's place?" He asked.

"…No."

"That's nice tree, isn't it?"

DAMNIT PRINCEY!

"Fine…"

"We have four hours—"

"No!" I crossed my arms, "I'm decorating this tree first. And the barracks. AND. I will scream sing Christmas songs. And you will like it!"

* * *

After multiple repeats of Joy to the World, Chrom was probably clawing at his ears. I assure you, I have a decent voice, I was just scream singing.

Krysta just giggled at this and then I was pulled outside again. Probably to practice. Most definitely. Sigh.

I faced Chrom reluctantly. With the same reluctance that I do math. I'm still holding onto that.

Apparently, we were supposed to circle each other then pull a freaking Inigo Montoya fight against what's-his-face. So fencing? I'm confused as shit right now. Normally, I'd be like "Yay! Violence!", but this is seriously reminding me of every planned fight in the TV adaptation of the Legend of Zelda. Because it is a planned fight.

"So basically this tells the story of Lady Kris? Interesting…"

"Yes. The Hero-King wanted to pass on this hero's story. How she aided the war effort and how she became known as the finest knight." Chrom muttered.

"Really? All right. That sounds mildly interesting. Though I still don't understand how a swordfight could tell that…"

"Apparently, Marth and Kris sparred countless times. So it's like a sparring match accompanied by Lissa reading the story."

"Hm. Then I guess I'm not going to lose!"

Krysta giggled again, "I wonder how that'll turn out. Don't break her!"

Break?

What?

I was just being sarcastic before...He can _break_ people?!

Well, shit.

* * *

**?'s PoV**

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there—

"Have a Merry fucking Christmas!" A Santa knock off, Jean Valjean Monte Cristo, yelled as I was thrown to the ground in a place I didn't recognize. Scratch that. I was thrown through a roof and landed on a table in front of three people. In a place I didn't recognize.

"ANOTHER ONE?!" A brunette yelled, "What'd you do this time, Naga?! The gods think they can do whatever they want!"

A blue-haired guy sighed, "Erin, peace."

Another brunette giggled. She seems really peppy. It's annoying.

"What are you talking about "another one"?" She asked.

"Long story and I, sure as hell, don't feel like explaining it…" Erin muttered.

The other girl pouted, "No fair…" then looked at the blunette, "Chrom? What does she mean?"

_Chrom?! But…Didn't I just…_

"It's not my business to tell you, Krysta," Chrom replied.

"Meanie…" Krysta continued to pout.

I let out a sigh of my own and asked:

"This is all great, but, uh, where am I?"

"Ylisse," Erin said, "Erin Fedelta; nice to meet you."

_Yeah, definitely don't remember her from the game. Or this Krysta person. But what about…Didn't I throw myself off a cliff?_

"Huh. Okay…I'm Noah…"

"Well met, Noah," Chrom said and turned to Krysta, "Uh, Krysta, did't you have to go meet with your father?"

"Meh. Fine. I'll leave you weirdoes be…Toodles…" She got up and left.

_Everyone is surprisingly calm about this…Is this an everyday occurrence?_

As she left Erin and Chrom stood and helped me off the table, which was, surprisingly, still in one piece.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

_Another one!_

This guy was pretty tall…Like 7 inches taller than I was. Maybe my 'godly' powers include exact measurements? That'd be pretty damn awesome.

I feel so short now…I'm used to being a head taller than everyone. Unfortunately, that means I can't ninja people in Hide-n-Seek…ITS NOT A KIDS GAME!

Anyway, he was blonde with blue eyes. Wore…I guess a combo between an Assassin and Trickster Class garb. Kunai were strapped to his boots and slung over his should was a bow and quiver full of arrows. Oh and there was a Heal Staff in there too. And a guitar? Jesus…Talk about Mr. Loaded Potato.

_**I don't recognize his aura…He doesn't hold the powers of one of my brethren. He seems more dark and distant. Not an evil dark…More like…traumatic. Unsavory past, maybe?**_

_Oh…Well. What do we do with him then? Just saying, I don't want to be ninja'd. _

…_**? How?**_

_He's got kunai. That equals ninja status._

_**And you're my Host because?**_

_I'm a genius!_

_**More like egotistical…**_

Chrom coughed and I jumped in my spot.

"You all right? You were zoning out there."

"…Eh? OH. Sorry, I'm _such_ a space cadet sometimes," I said, "I bet you're gonna ask him to join the Shepherds. Pay up."

Chrom sighed and grudgingly handed me two gold pieces, "What are you? Psychic too?"

"Nah, Robin and I have been placing bets on this since I joined. That's why Robin's bankrupt. He really should have caught on by now…Thank you, Chrom-senpai!" I placed the coins in a coin pouch.

"…You're welcome?"

"I've a good feeling about that bet I made with you a few months ago," I mused, "Better pick up a woman soon or I'll—"

"AHEM," Noah coughed to get our attention, "If you two lovebirds are done, care to explain?"

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" We both yelled.

I yelled, "He's just my commander—and an idiot—but my commander all the same!"

_That's an interesting shade of red, Princey. I hope that's embarrassment. _

_**No, you don't!**_

_UGH! NOT YOU TOO!_

"Good bye!" I quickly fled the barracks, "AND A GOOD DAY TO BOTH OF YOU!"

"It's night!" Noah called back.

"A-GOOD DAY!"

* * *

**Noah's PoV**

_Crraaazy!_

"What was that about…" Chrom muttered, "Must've blown up?"

"At least the barracks are still intact…" I replied, "Short temper?"

"Yes…" Chrom turned to me sheepishly, "So, uh, right...The war with Plegia has just begun and we could use some more able men, would you like to join the Shepherds?"

…_Someone is trustworthy, but I already knew that. _

"Without seeing me in battle once? Are you just assuming I can hold my own?" I asked, still confused as shit. I'm in a different Ylisse and…? Is there a reason? Sure, I didn't really have anything to live for…but really? Could've put me out of my misery.

"It takes great skill to be an assassin. Besides, I'd rather not have those skills used against me…If you truly are an enemy, then you'll face a gory death…" He slapped me hard on the back, causing me to lurch forwards.

_That's not terrifying at all…My world's Chrom was more…Serious, I guess? Probably wouldn't throw threats like that around._

"So, what brings you to Ylisse?" Chrom continued.

"I…uh…Threw myself off a cliff…" I muttered, then immediately regretted it.

_At least I didn't say:_

_Oh, nothing much! Just threw myself off a cliff after my favorite asshat died, Texas as well and your sister popped out a kid! And to top off all that wonderful goodness, Liv went and died. How wonderful! Her mother, the East Khan, was out to slaughter me and her father was drunk off his ass…and wanted to slaughter me. What brought _you_ to Ylisse, good sir?_

_AND. My evil twin might be out to _slaughter_ you all! If he recovers, that is…_

_A-Merry Christmas to you!_

"Let me get this straight…You…threw…yourself…Off. A. Cliff?" He asked.

"And…?"

"You lived?"

"Well. That's a long story. To sum it up. Very bad dude is loose, but injured, so there isn't much threat from him. Uh…I come in peace, earthling and point me to the nearest Feroxi dancer!"

Chrom raised a brow, "Feroxi dancer…? Never mind. I won't ask. But something that has piqued my interest is this "very bad dude". What does he look like?"

"Oh like me—"

Chrom drew Falchion…Oh. I guess I failed there….

"BUT! Has white hair and a scar. I doubt he'll heal himself, so we may just come out unscathed!"

_I'm slowly turning myself into Henry…aren't I? I need to stop._

"All right. We'll keep an eye out. Make yourself welcome in the barracks. There should be some empty rooms upstairs," He turned to leave, but then stopped, "You're invited to the palace for the annual Christmas celebration."

"Yes, sir," I saluted.

* * *

**Lucas' PoV (One week prior)**

"Pack your bags!" The West Khan said as he burst into the kitchen.

Yes. Olivia and I were in there…_again_. I still haven't mastered anything.

"W-why's that, Basilio?" Olivia asked.

"We've been invited to Ylisse for Christmas since we've joined them in the fight against Plegia," Basilio explained, "Now, come on! Move your asses! I can't wait to get my hands on the Ylissean wine!"

I sighed and threw off an apron, "You'd do anything for that…All right. I'm going…"

"Do you need any help?" Olivia asked.

"I'm pretty sure I can handle packing stuff, Olivia."

"A-are you sure?" She seemed to back off a bit.

"Positive."

"A-all right…"

I sighed again as I made my way down the hall. Olivia was always like that. Kind and always fretted. She was that way to everyone. I think…Yeah. Definitely.

I opened the door to my room and grabbed a knapsack that already held all my stuff. I didn't need much if it were a small trip to Ylisse. I only needed the necessities; my 3DS, weapons and emergency stuff. Like vulneraries. Because you can't survive without that shit.

"Come on, kid! You're gonna get left behind!" Basilio shouted from somewhere down the hall.

I shook my head and quickly left the room.

* * *

**Ylisstol (Present)**

I followed the East and West Khan into the palace as Olivia held my hand tightly. Apparently, she's claustrophobic. Reminds me a bit of Rei…

The main hall was decorated with wreaths and garland. We were greeted by a servant and they led us to the huge ballroom. In the center was a huge tree that was decorated with Thunder-powered lights. At the top was the traditional star. On the wall were banners with the Brand of the Exalt/Mark of Naga in the center. There were red ribbons leading from the star were pinned up against the walls.

"Wow…" I muttered, "Reminds me of the tree in Rock—"

"LUCAS!" Someone yelled before I was tackled with a bone crushing hug.

"Who…" I looked down at my "captor", "Erin?!"

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

"I missed you so much!" I hugged my other bestie and nuzzled him creepily.

"U-um…Lucas?" I heard a meek girl ask, "Who's this?"

I stepped away sheepishly and looked at…Oh. Olivia? I then turned to him knowingly and creepily wiggled my eyebrows before whispering, "I ship it~."

"….Uh…Erin, this is Olivia. Olivia, this is Erin," Lucas said awkwardly.

There's the awkward, huggable dude I know and love!

"H-Hi…" Olivia said.

"Don't worry, I'm not out to steal your man," She blushed at this and began to stutter.

"H-he…I-I…W-we're n-not…"

I let out a laugh before saying, "Come on, Lu-Lu, Olivia, I want you to meet the others."

I quickly led them over to the group of Shepherds, who were avoiding the nobles as much as possible, excluding Chrom, Lissa, Robin and Maribelle. The first three had "duties" and Mari was one. Rei escaped the confines of the group and walked nonchalantly over to—

"LUCAS!" She ran at him, much like I had, except it would hurt much more.

"N-nice to see you too, Rei," He said after he was released.

I then proceeded to introduce him to the rest of the Shepherds. That was when I realized someone was missing. Hm…I looked around before spotting him. Oh, there!

"Hey! New kid! Over here!" He seemed to sigh before walking over.

"Lucas, Olivia, this is Noah!" I gestured towards him, "Noah, this is—"

"Liv?!"

Olivia looked at him oddly still holding onto Lucas's arm, "Uhhmm? How do you…? Only few people call me that."

"Oh…Uh…It just came to me?" He said/asked.

Chrom, who just so happened to be behind us, said, "That sounds familiar."

"GODS!" I jumped, "There's no need to be Kellam!"

He simply shrugged, muttering something about 'true love' and went back over to the nobles. I vaguely heard a person yelled that they shipped it. Shipped what exactly?

Was he just there to…?

Olivia looked around him and her eyes froze on the guitar on Noah's back. Now that I think about it, she had a similar one on her back.

"H-how'd you get that guitar? There's only one like it…and that's mine."

"Time travel," Noah blurted out.

"What does that have to do with the price of eggs?" Olivia asked…Weird expression.

"Nothing…Absolutely nothing," He said and we were all met with an awkward silence.

"Hey, Olivia!" I heard Basilio call, breaking the silence, "Some nobles want to see your dance!" Olivia went to pull Lucas with her but Basilio stopped her and she reluctantly went alone.

After she left, Lucas seemed to become a bit less relaxed. Cute!

"So…" He started, "What's your deal with Olivia?"

Noah remained silent. I'm pretty sure I should evacuate…before Lucas burns the house down. He has _that_ look in his eye. So like a normal person would do, I backed away slowly and hid behind Lucas. Nosy me is nosy.

"Just, could you please leave her be? She's someone I can't lose…"

"…"

"I hope this isn't a problem...She means too much to me for me to see her with someone else…" He turned to leave, I stepped out of the way.

_He's so gentle it hurts sometimes…Sure, he can't "burn the house down", but he can invoke it._

"That's all? I don't believe it would hurt that much compared to what I've experienced," Noah said.

"What?" Lucas faced him again, "It would hurt more than anything in the world!"

"…Are you sure about that?"

"Of course! Is there a problem?"

"Tell me…How would _you _feel if your car was hit by a drunk driver? Your whole family dies besides you? How about when you see your best friend be brutally murdered? And you can do nothing, but watch? Lower your guard for a moment and your girlfriend gets killed by your demonic twin sent from hell? What if you somehow get shipped off to another world and you see her and she's with someone else? Seeing two people in love and realizing you can't have that hurts. So, no: I can't leave her be. I can't lose my purpose."

"Uh…I-I'm sorry…" Lucas murmured.

"You know what I am sick and tired of? People saying they are sorry and doing nothing," He simply turned and escaped into the crowd.

Lucas stood with his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"You know what I just realized…" I muttered out of nowhere, "Everyone's goal in life is to get laid…"

Lucas sighed, "It wasn't funny the first time Rei said it and it isn't now. What sick thoughts go through your mind?"

"Love you too, Lu-Lu!"

"You're so weird, Erin."

* * *

**Rei's PoV**

MEH. SO BORED.

Like, seriously! Do I have to sit through this alone? Erin won't even talk to me for some reason. She did seem different now…She carried herself differently…

My attention was turned to the center of the circle of people when Lissa began to read.

"_The Hero of Shadow was known as Altea's finest knight. But before that she was a loyal friend."_

Chrom and the other person circled each other before touching their blades in the center.

"_The Hero-King Marth, in his founding of Ylisse, had to keep the heroic deeds of Lady Kris a secret. Despite his protests, the Council forbade it. The people needed to unite around one leader. Thus the Shadow Hero was born."_

The duo proceeded to clash blades.

"_Marth still believed he should pass on the tales of the war hero. He couldn't let his closest friend fade into history. So he did so in the only way he could; by passing the story of Kris down the exalted line. Just so people at least knew she existed."_

Wow, really?

"_In another way we celebrate the holiday of Christmas in honor of her. We give and receive gifts much she gave and received from her allies."_

I guess that makes sense…They don't exactly have Christianity here.

"_This was the day she secured victory—"_

A loud boom was heard from the outside of the palace. The nobles dropped their wine glasses and let out screams of panic.

"Everyone remain calm!" Chrom yelled, "We'll check this out!" He turned towards our group of Shepherds, "Shepherds, split up and search the palace!"

Erin stiffened next to me.

"Erin?"

No response…

"HEY!"

"W-what?" She looked at me, "Oh, uh, sorry. I'm not her. Your friend was the one who sparred with Chrom."

Now that I think about it, she may have been wearing her clothes, but she didn't look exactly like Erin…

"Then who are you?"

"I was supposed to spar, she took my place. My name's Krysta," Krysta said.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

(Recommended Song: Bravely Default: Flying Fairy -Serpent Eating the Horizon- [Extended])

Chrom ran to the gardens with Robin while I ran for Emmeryn's room. She had left before the spar for some odd reason.

It wasn't that hard to find. It was at the end of a long hall near the servants' passage. I knocked once on the door before opening it slowly.

"Emmeryn?" I asked, "Is it safe?"

"The Emblem?" She replied, "Yes, of course, why would you ask?"

"Someone's infiltrated the palace. I don't know how they got in undetected though…" I watched the door, hand on my sword's hilt, "If they have any reason to; it'd be for the Emblem, quite possibly your, Chrom and Lissa's life and whatever's in the treasury."

"Do you think…" Emmeryn started, "its Plegia?"

"It's possible," I glanced at her before turning my head back to the door, "What a cruel time to pull something like this. Have they no heart?"

"This is my fault…" She muttered, "None of this would have happened…"

"Then Maribelle's head would on a silver platter. This couldn't have been prevented," She seemed about to counter, but I continued, "If you had handed over the Fire Emblem, it would be the same as every man, woman and child dying to war. Gangrel said he'd wish us all dead. Isn't this the better option? To save some lives?"

"What you say is true, but if there had been a path that led to peace, I would've taken it," She smiled sadly, "If I had the chance to sacrifice myself to end the fighting, I would."

I sweatdropped at this, "B-but you won't really do that, right? What about Chrom and Lissa? They need you and so does Ylisse."

"Only if it came to that, of course," was all she said before footsteps could be heard down the hall and there was a knock.

"Uhh….Room service?" The idiot on the other side said before I slammed the door opened and stabbed him.

_Thankfully, he wasn't on our side._

Someone else came running down the hall. I raised my sword before realizing it was Lucina.

"Y-you again…." Lucina muttered.

Well, I feel welcome.

"I should be the one saying that," I replied, "What is it you want here?"

"I only come to defend the exalt from the coming assassins," Lucina replied strongly.

"Glad to know that you're on our side, Marth."

"A….A pleasure…milady."

I turned to face the as "Grievers" came down the hall. The assassin's drew their blades. Thankfully, they didn't have bows. I glanced at Lucina again.

"Ready to take these shanks, Greenie?"

She looked at me oddly before slowly nodding, raising her Falchion and charging at the assassins. I quickly followed and cut down one on my right. I didn't come out unscathed and breathed in sharply as the one that had just died left a cut on my arm. Yowch. Pain.

More assassins came around the corner and surrounded us.

_Gods…Is this Lunatic or something? There shouldn't be this many assassins…I think._

What's gonna happen now? Some psycho's gonna murder the next three who come around the corner?

_I'm just writing a death wish…_

"There's too many of them…But if we fail…" Lucina muttered as we now stood back to back.

"Oh, cheer up," I replied, "Can't hurt to be a bit more positive."

She winced, "I'm not being negative. I'm being a realist."

"Whatever, Ms. Sunshine," I sighed.

Even more assassins came to join the battle as we somehow held the conversation will we fended them off.

"You don't even know what I've been through. It was bad and now you're here telling me to be _positive_ about it?!"

"Well, _excuse_ me, _princess_," I said sarcastically.

"Princess?!"

"Um…What? Are you really a princess?"

"Uh…N-no. I was just surprised to be referred to in that way."

I rolled my eyes. It's like trying to hold a conversation with myself. I wonder if—

Just then a yell sounded from the other end of the hall.

"STEP AWAY FROM THE DOOR, SHANKS!"

Lucina seemed to deflate a bit. Must be a _really _annoying person.

"Ephraim…" She muttered, "Can't be subtle, can she?"

* * *

**Clara's PoV**

Gods. Why can't Ilithyia be quiet about this? We're supposed to not draw the Shepherds' attention. I don't want to see their faces. Especially _him_. I can't or I'll lose it right here and right now.

"Pick a god and pray!" A voice boomed and cut down an assassin that was making its way towards me. The voice's owner then turned to me and—Speak of the devil and it shall come.

"Who are you?" Father asked, "If you're here to harm milord, milady or Her Grace, you shall be severely punished."

"I…I…" A wariness battle with him? I've always wanted to have one of these, but I just can't… "S-sir, I…I c-came here to aid the Shepherds…I-I'm with Prin—Marth. Marth, y-yeah…" I began fiddling nervously with my gauntlets. My façade was failing.

"That armor is of Ylissean make…" He looked me up and down, "Designed for an Ylissean pegasus knight. Where's your steed?"

"Sh-shouldn't I be asking where yours is?" I said, slowly gaining my confidence, "Who wants to ride a horse indoors?"

"Hm…Indeed," He began to walk down a hall leading to the exalt's room, but stopped, "Aren't you coming, miss?"

"Y-yes, sir," I quickly followed.

* * *

**Asuna's PoV**

"BOOM, BITCHES!" I chucked a short spear at two assassins. Somehow it impaled both of them and stuck them into the wall. Where they died. Yay, "Shuck-faced shucks… Hey? How was that Clara?" I turned and realized that she was gone, following someone down a hall.

I let out a _siiiigh_ before running after her.

* * *

**Erin's PoV**

Done. We were done. No more Assy Sassins are left.

I nodded to Lucina and made my way back to the others, "If anymore come, you know what to do, but I doubt they will. I need to meet up with yo—Chrom and Robin."

It didn't take long to them. In fact, I witnessed the final blow on Validar. I loved hearing his dying noises….I mean, _whaaaaat?_

Anyway…

"Oh, you killed the head baddie?" I asked.

Robin looked over as Chrom pulled Falchion from Validar's gut, "Baddie? ….Yes, he's dead."

"Phew. That's a relief," I looked to Chrom, "Huh. That is one bloody corpse. Whatcha do? Rip out his insides?"

"I may as well have," Chrom said, "Emmeryn could've died tonight and it would've been because of this man."

"Those are Plegian robes…" I glanced at Robin, "This must be the worst Christmas ever for many people. Almost as bad as when Newt died…"

"Newt?" Robin asked.

"Oh, nothing…."

* * *

**Next Day ~ Barracks**

_Cookies are done~! _

_**Was this really necessary? **_

_Yes. I love Christmas!_

_**So does every CHILD in the world.**_

_Screw you too!_

I carefully placed the cookies on a plate and stowed the cookie dough in my ugly sweater for later.

"What are you doing?" I heard someone ask.

I turned and realized it was the Greenie, "Oh, Merry Christmas, Noah. Just making some cookies. Want some dough?"

"Uhh….Sure?"

"Don't sound so excited!" I pulled out a glob and handed it over, "Hope you aren't allergic to chocolate," I looked around him and realized the first Shepherds were coming to sit around the tree I "bought".

* * *

"All right, is everyone here?" Lissa asked, clutching Chrom's gift to her closely. She looked like a huggable doll in her nightgown.

"Yeah!" Rei said, cookie in mouth, "Let's open stuff already!"

Stahl shook his head, "Rei, be patient. It's better to give than receive."

"We're holding up the giving by not receiving~!"

The present Shepherds gave a collective sigh.

I picked something up from my pile and looked at the tag.

_To: Erin_

_From: People you are special to._

….

Huh?

I looked around and realized everyone was opening something.

So I decided I'd open this thing.

I pulled off the top and inside was….

An ornate rapier scabbard?

I don't have a rapier.

I looked around the room again and watched as Chrom pulled a necklace out of a box.

Now I'm confused.

I glanced into the box again and pulled out a note saying:

"_Please give this to someone special to you…_

_Love,_

_L &amp; I"_

Uhhh. Okay?

"Oi! Chrom!" I stood and walked over to the prince, "I think this is for you."

"Yeah, I wouldn't expect a necklace as my own gift," We swapped gifts.

"Wow, it's so pretty! And I'm not one for these things. Thanks!"

He turned a bit red, "Uhh, you too."

I smiled and walked over to Rei.

"Hey, Rei! Ready to give our gifts?"

"Yeah!"

In the next twenty minutes each Shepherd was equipped with an ugly sweater including Kellam, who seemed very happy to be noticed. His had these Thunder-powered lights and jingly bells.

Everyone seemed so happy with their stuff. Rei, who had donned elf ears, turned to me and we shared a high-five.

"Merry Christmas, Rei!"

"You too, Neri!

* * *

**OH, GODS! This is so long overdue! I am SO sorry peeps! But I had reasons and you all know them. I'd like to thank ThatOneSelfInsertGuy (Noah) for the help with this and for giving support! I'm sure you've checked out his story already, but if you haven't, then go! It's called The Realm of the New God!**

**And now for a word from our sponsor! Same guy!**

**Noah: Gods. DAMMIT LUCAS! GIVE ME BACK MY WAIFU! **

**Me: Uhh…..**

**Noah: Sorry. I must have lost it for a second.**

**Me: Uh-huh. Anyway! Now to the bloopers~!**

* * *

**The Sweater Files**

Chrom: Um…Why am I tied to a chair?

Erin: I'd like you to answer a few questions. What color sweater would you want?

Chrom: Maybe re-

Erin: How about blue? Yes, blue will do nicely. -scribbles into notepad- What else on it?

Chrom: A-

Erin: How about lights? Ah, yes!

Chrom *sigh*

Erin: NEXT!

Chrom: -dragged away by Rei-

* * *

Erin: And this is the end result!

Chrom: Uhh...

Erin: Don't worry! It's got a detachable sleeve! So no covering up that Brand of yours! And these Thunder-powered lights are shaped into a Brand!

Chrom: That's-

Erin: You're welcome!

LINEBREAK

Erin: Okay! Let's get to work on these ugly-

Rei: Don't call them ugly! Festive!

Erin: What? But they're-

Rei: FESTIVE!

Erin: Right...Okay, Rei. Why don't you handle this then?

Rei: The sweaters must fall into these categories! U.G.L.Y

Erin: Doesn't that spell-

Rei: U! Unique! G! Great design and comfy! L! Lovable! Y! Yuletide and in the Christmas spirit!

Erin: *facepalm*

* * *

**XD I tried!**

**Anyway! Leave a review if you can! Have a Merry Christmas readers! Thoaria out! PEACE!**

**(If you don't get any updates for a week or two I may or may not be in hibernation mode)**

**Okay, so some people apparently ship me and Noah. You people are crazy! I won't say I'm bothered, but stop bugging him about it, all right?**


	13. Chapter 13: How to Not Be Awesome

**WHOA! HOLD THE DAMN WEAPONS! **

***ahem*  
**  
**I know, fina-fuckin-ly. I've been working on a few other things with DustedWithStar (Dusty) and ThatOneSelfInsertGuy (Noah) in January, so sorry for no updates! I'll try to get back on schedule ASAP, but no promises!**

**Well...Most of the "super secret stuff" we were working on, ending up derailing and turning into RP that was absolute crack. So yeah. FE!~~~~ Let's go!**

* * *

I sat in the Shepherds' garrison down in barracks reading a book. It was a very good book. A bunch of kids are trapped in this maze and have—Right. Irrelevant. So anyway. Book. So good! If someone interrupted me right now or Ylisse was burning down for some godsforsaken reason, I'd let them die. Screw them. No one interrupt—REI! DAFUQ IS WRONG WITH YOU!

"Whatcha readin'?" She began to read the back cover.

"Don't you even fuck with me. I'll fucking end you. Your blood will splatter across the stones on the shores of the rivers of Hell."

"How about no?" She continued to read the back cover.

Meanwhile, I was having a conniption. "That's a death wish, bitch."

Rei scoffed. "Oh, I'm the—"

Noah, who was doing something with maps and those chess piece things Robin made, stood, walked over and said, "Will you both just shut up?" He then TOOK my BOOK.

_THAT'S A FUCKING DEATH WISH._

"…Fuck. You," I said, reaching for a weapon. "Drop the book and you won't die a gory death!"

"What exactly is there to be afraid of? I have more experience in this place," Noah said, not cockily, because—I hate to admit this—it was fact.

"C'mon! Give it back, NoNo!—"

"Don't call me that…"

"—Can't I just enjoy happiness and peace while it lasts?"

He sighed and held out the book. "Then read quietly. I'm deciding on my plan of attack."

"Plan of attack?"

"Plan. Of. Attack."

"Oh…Yeah you don't have any chance with that. Lucas totally has you beat."

The book does not exist on this plane of existence anymore.

* * *

…_I'm going to go murder someone. Maybe Ricken? Yeah. He isn't—_

"…Ferox in the next week. It's best that we leave today," I heard Lucas's voice echo through the corridor as I made my way to the mess hall. I peered into the hall and saw that he was talking with Chrom.

"The pegasus knights will escort you to the border," Chrom said, filling out some report or another to most likely send to Phila.

Lucas shook his head dismissively. "That isn't necessary. Basilio wouldn't want you wasting troops that could be defending the halidom."

"All right, I hope you fare well."

Lucas left the room quietly. Well, it would've been if I hadn't stopped him, leaving my hiding place and intercepting him.

"What's this about going to Ferox?"

"Oh...What is it, Chicken?" he asked, pretending not to hear what I initially said.

"Don't change the subject!" I pouted. "And don't call me Chicken!"

Lucas sighed, giving in to me because I have that power over him. "Olivia and I are going back." He and Olivia? Huh, so I was right, that is a thing now. I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy…We just met up again after years and now he's leaving me. And Olivia will have him all to herself.

Wow, that made me sound like a bitch who wants to screw with his relationship and take him all for myself. But that's not the case, I assure you; I just get overly attached to my friends. Not stalker attached, it just bugs me when I'm away from them.

Still; I couldn't help but ask, "Why?"

"...Because we are." He rolled his eyes. "We can't stay here. _Basilio_ wants us to go back with him."

_Sure_. Basilio _is the reason you're going back…_

"I'll…uh…miss you, I guess. We just met up again, and now you're leaving." He sighed loudly. "Don't you sigh at me!"

"Oh cheer up. It'll just be for a bit," he laughed, probably hoping I would as well, like I normally did. Lucas stopped laughing when he realized I was frowning. He was most likely trying to come up with something funny to say. "...Razor dildos."

I felt the side of my mouth twitch. Seconds later it turned into full blown laughter. "Pfft. Dafuq? You friggin weirdo!" I ran in and gave him a hug, muttering one of our inside jokes. "You know…don't go killing yourself because, as you know, there once was a boy named Jimmy and now he's dead."

"Awe, you care!"

In one fluid motion, I brought my knee up and kneed him in the stomach. He fell to the floor with a gasp. Gee, I sometimes forget how strong I am in his world. "Fuck you." Lucas's arm twitched violently as he was dragged away by Olivia, who came out of freaking nowhere.

Chrom stepped out of the room sometime during our conversation, holding a pile of reports. "I don't want to know what just happened."

"It's better if you just forget it for your own sanity, Princey." I eyed the reports, curious of what was in them. "So. What's next? It's getting pretty boring around here."

"There have been reports of something picking off the residents of border villages." He filed through a few of the reports. "That's the only one that really stands out. All the others are crop counts, Anna complaints—We get those on a daily basis. Nobles complaining about how they are taxed and the less fortunate aren't...etc."

I ignored the whole last part, as Chrom didn't make that out to be _super_ important. "_Something?_ If this something is killing people, then why aren't we there now?" This is serious, Chrom. Why are we ignoring it? People are dying.

"Robin's analyzing the report." Chrom shook his head, seeming to be just as annoyed at this as I was. "By order of the Council, all documents that don't have a seal, must be analyzed. If it's in the incorrect format, we risk being led into a trap."

_The irony..._

"Oh believe me…It won't be the first…" I snickered to myself, despite it being not funny at all. I can't help it if after a while, these character deaths don't sway me anymore. ...But then again, these aren't just characters in a story anymore.

"Pardon?" He raised a brow.

"Nothing! …I didn't say anything." I shook my head, then went with the first excuse I came up with. "Um…I'm gonna go bug Robin now."

* * *

I wandered the halls aimlessly—well, not completely aimlessly, I had an intention—until I came across Robin's room. The door was open, showing Robin hunched over a microscope—they have those?—muttering to himself. The smell of chemicals filled the air.

I entered without knocking, glancing around. Up against the west wall was a four poster bed, which all the Shepherds had in their rooms. It made me feel like I was in Hogwarts. Next to the bed was a nightstand that was overflowing with leatherbound books. On the opposite wall was a bookshelf that was full despite the short two months that Robin has been here. It took me years to get a full one myself. On the back wall, towards the bookshelf, was the desk at which Robin sat, test tubes placed on a rack. A blue rug was sprawled across the floor in the center of the room.

I looked over Robin's shoulder as he peered into the microscope. "Holy schnikes, Robin! I don't think making the paper into a liquid then drinking it helps!"

Robin jumped up in surprise, banging his eye into the eyepiece in the process. "GODSDAMMIT, ERIN!"

"It's a talent, Robby." I smirked, seeing that he didn't like his nickname nor was he happy at all about what just happened. "So, how're the forensics going?"

He rubbed his eye, looking over to one of the reports. "It's legit."

"...And?"

"That's it."

"Well, that's lame…" I said, disappointed, of course. Forensics science was my favorite science. I had always wanted to have that job in the NYPD. "I was hoping it'd be a real stumper."

"It was a bit hard to figure out." Robin was trying to be modest about it, at least.

"...but not hard enough for the Master Tactician?"

"Who do you think you're talking to? Vaike?" I laughed as he said that. "You should know that well enough."

"That I do, Robby, that I do."

"On the subject of Master Tactician knows best, I was thinking of pairing Sumia and Chrom." Robin said thoughtfully. "I feel as if Sumia would be able to make it a whole battle with him to protect her. We've tried with just about everyone."

I shrugged, not really liking that idea, but not knowing why exactly. "Well, that is an idea, Robin, but why not let her and Gaius pair the next time the chance arises?" They have supports in the game, so of course it'll work, yeah?

"But…" He didn't look like he liked the idea. "Chrom knows her better than Gaius does, so he would be able to protect her."

Wait...Does Robby have a crush? "Oh, I see now, Robin. You just want her to be safe because you like her."

_**I don't think it is Robin who has the crush…**_

_Oh, fuck off, Aquarius._

"What? No!" He knit his eyebrows together, confused.

"Then take a risk and pair her with Gaius, then maybe I won't tell everyone!" Check and mate, Robin. Check and mate.

"Fine." Robin nodded, then wrote something into a journal that was opened on his desk. "I'll be testing pairs together in the future anyway. Perfect pairs are optimal since this has turned into full blown war. For now, I'll just put you with Chrom. He seems to keep you from falling on your sword."

"Gee, thanks, Robin. I'm not exactly useless." I thought about what had happened in the past few days. Emmeryn's assassination attempt, the preparations, training and trying to make Frederick my friend. I think I've been mostly successful with that. "I've been working on my archery skills and I've abducted Maribelle for an hour every day and forced her to teach me how to use staves while on horseback. I was thinking of making my own class."

Robin rolled his eyes. "And what would that be?"

"It's not that _advanced_ yet. Just a sort of cavalier variation. Swords, bows and staves. I think I'll call it...Vanadis."

"Vanadis?" Robin asked. "Where'd you get that name from?"

_Well, Valkyrie was already taken...Like, I know Valkyries determine life and death in a battle so a healer would make sense, but wouldn't large axes, swords, halberds or spears be more fitting? Didn't Freya ride into battle with her cats, using spears and axes and shit? Wasn't she the goddess of battle and war._

_**No, that is fitting. She was also associated with wealth, death, magic and prophecies.**_

_I guess it makes sense that Maribelle is able to be a Valkyrie then...But still! Look at how much more badass that is!_

_**It cannot be helped now. Vanadis though…? That's quite the daring move. Are you up to that?**_

_I'll be there someday, Aquarius._

"I've just always liked the name. It's empowering. It reminds me of the goddess."

"The goddess?" Robin walked over to his bookshelf, pulling out some random book. "Hm...All right." He leafed through the pages muttering something about "Norse gods", leaving me in an awkward situation. Thankfully, Sumia knocked on the door, gaining Robin's attention.

"Um...Robin? I was wondering if you were enjoying the books I let you borrow," she asked over another pile of books. So that's why Robin's bookshelf is full.

"I'm actually reading one of them right now." He closed the book and held it up. Apparently, it was called "Legends and Myths from the Other Worlds". Interesting name.

"Oh, that's great, Robin!" Sumia smiled cheerfully.

"Any books you'd recommend?" I asked, interrupting their conversation.

"Yeah, I just bought this book from Noah." She held it up and I almost strangled her. "Apparently, it's about kids in this thing called the Maze. They live in a part of it called the Glade. It's very modern. I don't know what half of the stuff in here is, but it's very interesting."

"You got that book from Noah, right?" She nodded. "He stole that from me. It's all right, though. I already read it and only had it to keep my sanity."

"Really? Well, may I borrow it for the time being then?" At least she asked me now. That's honorable.

"Yes, of course. Just try to keep it in good condition, all right?" That is my only real modern book and I want to keep it in mint condition. What? I like the feel of an _actual_ book, not some ebook. A modern book even more, now that we're in ye olde times!

"Oh, th-thank you!~" she said cheerfully.

"Sumia, could you take these reports to Chrom for me?" Robin handed them to the girl.

Remember how I said Sumia had a pile of books? Well, it was more like a mountain. She could barely see over the top. "Sumia looks like she has her hands full, Robin." I offered. "I can take the reports to him if you like."

He raised a brow and then just shook his head. "All right. These are important, so don't ruin them or anything." He handed me the textbook's worth of reports. I kid you not. The pile was a thick as a text book. "Oh and please stop hiding what's going on between you two. It's obvious to everyone."

"Huh?" I'm legit confused, all right! I have no idea what he's talking about. You two? "Two? Who do you mean, Robin?"

He smiled knowingly. An annoying one that said "I know stuff and you don't". "Never mind. Just get those reports to him."

"Okie dokie, Robby!" I turned and began my search for everyone's favorite blue-haired prince.

As I left I heard Sumia say, "Heh, Robin, you noticed too?"

Robin laughed. "I am the Master Tactician. I see all."

* * *

Apparently, Chrom was forced to sit through a Council meeting...which I didn't know had been going on in the Council Room, so I burst through the doors during my search through the barracks and palace. Let's just say, that had to be my most embarrassing moment here.

Normally, when someone enters a room when they aren't supposed to, they back out, muttering apologies. Well, for me this wasn't the case. I didn't give it a second thought, just stuttered like the socially awkward (to new people) person I am. Shocker...

"Chrom...Eh, um…Woops." I dropped the whole pile of reports, scurrying across the ground to pick up them. I made good time, if I don't say so myself. Though it wasn't aided by Aquarius's whooping laughter in the background. "Eh...Ahem... So Robin gave me these reports to…." At that moment I realized I was interrupting the meeting, feeling my face heat up. "Oh, gods, I'm sorry! Th-these...May help with...politics or whatever you people do here...Eh...Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry." So I did what anyone would do in that situation. I left the papers and fled the room as soon as possible.

And now what was I doing? Sulking in my room in the barracks.

"Oh, cheer up! It couldn't have been as embarrassing as that one time you..."

Well, I was trying to sulk, but Rei was bothering me. Somehow, she got in the locked door and was now standing in the center of the room. My bet is that she dealt with candy and was met with her prize.

"Oh, believe me, it's ten times worse. The whole damn council! I think they all took notes to vote for my death when the chance arises!" I clutched my head, knees drawn in, in fear.

"Erin, calm down! Stop jumping to conclusions!" Rei cried. "We've talked about this! You can't be afraid of every little thing!"

"I'm bloody terrified! Of everything. Of every outcome. Of every possible injury. Of death. I'm terrified of the world! I'm scared, Rei! What if she dies on the way to the eastern palace? What if we have to watch her die and not be able to do anything? What if...What if we all die?! What if Lucina fails? What if _we_ fail?!"

"What are you talking about?! This is completely irrelevant! How has your embarrassment triggered this?"

"I don't know!"

_**...Oh, dear. I think I've accidentally triggered it.**_

"Godsdammit, Aquarius…" she murmured.

_**I've been removing every little hindering emotion since that first Risen attack on the Northroad. I may or may not have have removed that emotional guard. Well...It's more like a suppression. The emotion isn't completely removed.**_

"So that's why she's screaming nonsense?"

_**Yes. **_

"Can you fix it?"

_**Yes. It should take only a second…**_

"Uh...Rei?" I asked, standing slowly. "Was I just rocking around in a ball, screaming my fears to you?"

_**Fixed.**_

Rei rolled her eyes, shifting her weight. "Yeah. I'm starting to think you're going crazy. You know what they say, Aquarius's either become geniuses or total psychos."

"Gee, thanks, Rei. I'm glad you care about me so much." Leaning forward, I slid off the bed and headed towards the door. "I'm going to—"

A knock interrupted me, Stahl's voice following it. "Chrom's called a meeting downstairs in the barracks. Something about heading east."

"Dammit. I was just about to go for a nice walk…"

"Yeah. Looks like I'll have to share this food with the others…"

Rei jumped at the door, pulling it open and trying to grab whatever Stahl had in his hands. She was successful, knocking Stahl down and stripping him of his goods. They were cookies, apparently, because I heard her yell, "COOKIES!" and then they just vanished as if they never existed.

"Gods, Rei…" I sighed, watching as she stood again and ran down the hall, not even bothering to help Stahl. "Grow up, will you? ...It's no use." I extended my hand to Stahl, pulling him up. He murmured his thanks as I turned and left, waving without looking back.

* * *

"Is everyone here?" Chrom looked at the assembled Shepherds. We sat about the room in no particular order, some at tables, others on crates. Robin had the roster spread out on a table, putting checks next to names.

"Everyone's here…" he muttered, tracing his finger down the sheet, stopping on someone's name. "Wait. Where's Kellam?"

Frederick sighed at that. "It seems as if he's never here. I'll have to deal with that knight later." I heard a faint voice, turning towards where it came from, but there was no one there. I wonder…No, he's not here.

Chrom nodded, beginning the meeting. "We need to evacuate my sister immediately. The Plegian brigands at the border have been slowly advancing towards the center of the halidom. The pegasus knights have reported that they are marching in a loose formation, only noticeable to those who really watch. They're coming from the west and south, leading us to believe that they sailed around the coast and travelled on foot from there."

How is he so calm? Plegians are marching here to attack and he's calmly giving us our orders like a just king or brave commander. It was admirable, empowering. I guess that's what makes him such a good leader; one I would trust with my life.

He stood in silence, waiting for some reaction, I assume. The other Shepherds murmured to each other quietly, trying to grasp the situation. They found it hard to believe that Plegia would make a move like that? No, no. They definitely expected it. ...Then why were they not saying anything? Are they against war? That wouldn't make sense either. I guess they don't know what to say.

"All right, so what's your plan, Chrom?" Everyone looked to me and I just gave them all a "wut?" face. "Well? Don't leave us hanging. Where are we taking Emmeryn?"

"We've decided on taking her to the eastern palace, along with her most trusted advisor, the hierarch." At this, Noah snorted from where he sat in the back. That earned him a glare from Chrom. Gee, I wonder what's up with them. "You have something to say, Greenie?" Oh, he's calling him out!

"No…." he muttered. "Please. Do continue…."

_Gods, what's up with you two?_

"Then, and only then, we'll make our way to Ferox to request reinforcements," he went on. "After that, we'll cross the border and strike at the heart of Plegia, taking down their Mad King and ending this war once and for all." He glanced around the room briefly. "Now, I ask, will you follow me?" A cheer erupted from the assembled the Shepherds, Sully and Vaike being the loudest.

To be honest, in that moment, I didn't cheer at all. Sure, we were going to take down Plegia. Everything is fine and dandy. But think about it...This isn't what happened in the game, so our course of action may change, or it might just be encouraged when Emmeryn is taken by Plegia.

What is there to cheer for, anyway? A bunch of Plegian soldiers-forced to fight, might I add-are going to die. Their families will be left without fathers or mothers, sisters or brothers, sons or daughters. Despite my eagerness to fight, this much bloodshed and death irks me. How many more lives will I have to take? How many more dreams must I destroy?

So I just sat and offered an encouraging smile. Which probably didn't look very nice, since I cannot smile at will and have it look pretty. Chrom needed all the support and confidence possible to tackle these next two plus years of war-after the two years of peace, of course-and we're going to give it to him.

Soon it was time to head back to our rooms and pack all of our paraphernalia, basically just my pack which was all I really had, and some additional clothes. Now that I think about it, I hope the heat doesn't fry my tech, that'll just be the death of me-Okay, what am I kidding? I'm not that far gone, I can survive without technology for long periods of five minutes! I mean, years! If there's a good book handy, that is….

_Random shit, check. Pack, check. Other crap, check. Robin's diary, check. Brandon's secret Cordelia plush, check. Rei's candy, check. Gaius's candy, check. Lissa's-Wait, why do I have everyone's shit?_

_**It seems as if they've been using your nearly vacant room as storage for their possessions... What are you doing with that Fire tome?**_

_I'm going to burn their stuff. _

_**What? Why? You can't even use-**_

_Watch me._

And that is how I nearly burned down the garrison.

* * *

**And end~**

OMG NEW FE! I have been holding out on just screaming that the whole chapter, so bear with me as I voice my thoughts. So, this Marx guy...I sure hope he isn't related to the MU/Avatar/Whatever Shit They Come Up With. I spotted him and chose him. I will never put him higher up than Prince Dork over here, though.

**I like how it combines some aspects of Rome and the East, I just love the whole thing, because this combines my two favorite cultures!~ Too bad there isn't Greek culture, too. ;-; It's still beautiful and I love it. Can I say that enough? And OMG I can't wait till exactly a week from now! Majora's Mask, oh shit, this is going to go on such a hiatus if I get my hands on that MM 3DS~**

***cough***

**That really derailed there, sorry!~ **

**Anyway, as per usual, don't forget to review, fav and follow, if you haven't already!~ If you find any errors in here, please tell me!~ Thanks!~**

**Now for some shorts that Noah, Dusty and I worked on while the site was down. We decided that I'd include it in the BTS. Also, if you don't read this, there's one thing I do recommend reading from the BTS. It was a scene that was cut, but it still is key to the story. It's a convo between Aquarius and Scorpio.**

* * *

How to Be Hardcore: Slaps Edition

Rei: Hey, Stahl! Wanna be hardcore and play Slaps?

Stahl: Slaps?

Rei: Yeah, it's easy! *props elbow on table* Just take your right hand and hold mine!~

Stahl: Okay. Now what?

Rei: *slaps back of his hand*

Stahl: OW!

Rei: Now me! You gotta do that to my hand! Or you ain't hardcore! Let's see who lasts the longest!

Stahl: *slap*

Rei: *slap*

Stahl: *slap*

Rei: *slap*

Stahl: *slap*

Rei: *slap*

Stahl: *slap*

Rei: *slap*

…..

10 minutes later

…..

Rei: *slaps* No one ever lasts this long against me, you're hardcore, Stahl!

Stahl: *slaps* Well, I've just lost all feeling in my hand, I think your may have cut off my circulation by holding my hand so tightly.

Rei: *slaps* How is that possible….?

Stahl: How should I know? *Slaps extra hard this time* I think my other hand has fall-

Rei: OW! GODS DAMMIT! *pulls hand away* You...win...I bow down to thee, hardcore master.

Stahl: Uhhhhh…?

Chrom and Erin

Erin: Hey Chrom, wanna play slaps?

Chrom: ….?

….

Ten minutes later

….

Chrom: *in the healer's tent for burn*

Erin: *has a broken hand and five broken fingers*

Lissa: *sigh* Am I the most mature one here?

Frederick: Indeed, milady.

* * *

So Ya Wanna Be A Master?

Erin: Hey, Rei? So you wanna be a master?

Rei: Pokemon!

Erin: Do ya have the skills to be?

Rei: Number one!?

Erin: I wanna take the ultimate step!

Rei: Find the courage to be bold!

Erin: Pokemon!

Brandon: To risk it all and not forget!

Lucas: The lessons that I hold!

Brandon: I wanna go where no one's been!

Erin: Far beyond the crowd!~

Lucas: Pokemon!

Brandon: Learn the way to take command!  
Rei: Use the power that's in my hand!

Erin: Oh hey! We all live in a Pokémon world-

Robin: Will you all shut up?! I am trying to ship you with people! The Shipping Lord cannot work his magic if you are screaming stupid songs about nonexistent creatures in the barracks!

Pikachu: …..

Lucario: …

Charizard: …..

Mewtwo: …..

Robin:...Well, shit.

Mewtwo: Die puny human.

Tharja: Get away from my hubby.

Robin: All powerful Mewtwo, please kill me.

* * *

EPIC RAP BATTLES OF AWAKENING

Cordelia: Ok, I'll start you stupid little slut.

Our skill sets are different, javelin throwing and shaking butts.

The only reason you ever got Chrom's eye

Is the fact that you bent over and cried.

How about those of us who actually tried?

Instead of those of us who cheated and lied?

Good luck keeping the title of queen,

Cuz before long you will be 6 feet under, you know what I mean?

Erin: Listen here, Ms. Perfect.

Time spent on you is hardly worth it.

I mean, look at you, always so desperate.

I am the queen, why can't you just accept it?

So sorry for your lack of common sense.

You chose to fight the girl who won't relent.

Even if you gave 1010 percent,

You cannot stop your quick descent.

Look at all time you've spent

going after some unrequited love

That sure don't apply to the above

What's it gonna be, dear?

Are you going to shed some tears?

Cordelia: Desperate? I would say I keep my calm and grace.

Unlike you, so whiny, it always puts you in last place.

Queen? What can you do, other than rely on ol' Chrom?

You can't do anything right, much less be a mom.

See, it might be your fault, why Lucina has such stupidity.

That, your issues, complaints and unreliability.

Erin: Oh, bitch, it's about to get real.

Can you take the damage I'm about to deal?

You couldn't even protect your stupid sisters.

How do expect to find a mister,

If you can't even speak your heart.

Now do you see why all your relationships fall apart?

So get off your high horse, dearie.

When I'm decrepit and weary

At least I would die with some honor

Far as I'm concerned you're a goner.

Cordelia: My death would at least command everyone's respect,

While you simply hide behind your prince like some sort of reject.

I couldn't protect those I love the most, that's true,

But it would be worse for poor little you.

You can hardly hold a sword and fight alongside your friends.

Yours would be a pathetic, lonely end.

Your daughter's a crybaby, your other one's a dumb hero.

And their mother? Not surprisingly, could be considered less than zero.

Erin: Hah! As I sing my anthem,

I bet your daughters couldn't even fathom

how much they drag the army down,

No wonder we're low on morale.

Listen here, Mother dear,

It seems as if you've confirmed their fears

They don't have faith in you, when you'd fall

at Chrom's beckon and call.

So the answer is simple, don't you see?

The army needs someone like me.

WHO WON?! WHO'S NEXT?! YOU DECIDE!

(inspired by Noah's FE version of Epic Rap Battles of History. Please support the original….adaptation. Disclaimer: I clearly have no skill in the field of rap. Noah did Cordelia's part for most of it and Dusty finished it off.)

Dusty: She ripped this off from Noah. DON'T TRUST THE MONKEYS. WE BURNED DOWN THE CIRCUS!

Thoaria: Shhh! Readers are being disturbed by your insanity.

Dusty: I'm awesome. Whatcha talking about?

Thoaria: *sigh* Nothing~

Dusty: Anyways, shameless self promotion. DustedWithStars. ...THAT IS ME WHOOP WHOOP!

Thoaria: And now for more….BTS. Dusty and Robin...They had an adventure.

Dusty: Several. Can I say several?

Thoaria: Sure why don't we call it:

Dusty and Robin Doing Random Shit Together

Robin: What the fuck?

Dusty: *surrounded by a mountain of books* This is my secret, all-powerful fort, bitch. Just try and attack me.

Robin: Right, but I need to borrow one of these...*takes a book*

*mountain of books fall down on top of Dusty*

Dusty: Godsdammit, Robin. Help dig me out.

*In a dark room somewhere*

Dusty: Gaius? Do you know why you're here?

Gaius: Because you and Robin are batshit crazy?

Robin: I don't like the attitude. Dusty? Show him what we do to disrespectful prisoners.

Dusty: *shoves candy in front of face* I bet you want this.

Gaius: I do!

Dusty: But you can't.

Gaius: NO!

Dusty: You can have it if you confess to Sumia saying these exact lines.

Robin: "Baby, you're a river of chocolate in an ocean of cream. I'm going to steal your heart on a daily basis."

Gaius: Dafaq?

Robin: SAY IT.

Gaius: But-

Dusty: For the candy! *scoots a tied up Sumia sitting on a chair to Gaius*

Sumia: They got you, too?

Gaius: B-baby, you're a river of chocolate in an ocean of cream. I'm going to steal your heart on a daily basis.

Dusty: Have a candy. ...Or not. *eats candy*

Gaius: NNNOOOOOOOOOO!

Random Zodiac Stuff because REASONS (aka some plot that is only found here!)

Scorpio: Why am I obnoxious? I'm considered to be the most powerful zodiac sign!

Aquarius: One of them, really. Leo and I are quite powerful as well.

Scorpio: NUH UH! Anyways, every time you say Leo it makes me think of that one kid from Heroes of Olympus.

Aquarius: Ah, yes, that kid of Hephaestus. Do you think they're all faring well at the camp?

Scorpio: And I can see the future! Can you see the future?! NUH UH.

Aquarius: But I can prevent it...

Scorpio: STAHP using logic! Anyways, the Zodiac reminds me of that one manga, Fairy Tail. So you should be an obnoxious, powerful brat I'm supposed to be dating-... Whoa. Disgusting.

Aquarius: The Celestial Realm was in disarray after that ordeal. We had to fix that universe, remember?

Scorpio: I was too busy watching High School Musical and Pitch Perfect.

Aquarius: As per usual...Do you do anything productive?

Scorpio: I spied on the future kids! We have Serena, Clara, Ilithyia, Lu-Lu...

Aquarius: *sigh*

Scorpio: I do lots of important stuffz! I just like to pretend I'm a stupid, obnoxious, idiot so my opponents will underestimate me!

Aquarius: But I know you, so I've seen that you can be so much stupider, Brother dear.

Scorpio: But you also know I can be a lot more intelligent, Sis. ...I regret our decision sometimes. We meddled with fate and destiny. That always has its consequences.

Aquarius: Mother ordered it. I couldn't...There was reason and you know that. I won't say I don't regret it either. It was Naga's own fault we had to step in.

Scorpio: It's just our dear siblings don't want to admit that they're afraid of disobeying those much more powerful than us. We've seen how the others ended up. You can't tell me that you want to become that, too.

Aquarius: I am not afraid! If I had seen no point, I wouldn't have agreed.

Scorpio: Everyone is afraid. Fear is the breeding ground of courage and hope.

Aquarius: Not afraid of Mother, I mean. Of course I'm terrified of what may happen.

Scorpio: Believe whatever you want, Sis. The others have never seen what you're really like, have they? Just because we're old doesn't mean we have experienced anything. Just because we have knowledge doesn't mean we have intelligence.

Aquarius: But don't you see? I have to be strong. With Leo dormant, I must. I have to smart. I have to be just. He's not here for me and I need to live with that.

Scorpio: You don't have to be anything but what you want to be. You're the one crushing yourself with burden and expectation. It wouldn't kill you to trust us. It wouldn't hurt your Host to lean on the others, too.

Aquarius: ...I can't believe I'm saying this, but I suppose...you're right, Scorpio. Your philosophy is as logical as ever.

Scorpio: HELL YEAH! No one has ever really bothered to look behind the mirror, which reflects what they need it too. That's my duty, sis.

Aquarius: Yes it is...But, you do know that we cannot confide in the others, right? Gemini...or so we suspect, is with the enemy. We do not know who is on her side.

Scorpio: Gemini. I can give you proof and evidence if you let me investigate. Tongues are looser around foolishness.

Aquarius: All right, I trust you with this, Scorpio.

Scorpio: Yuppies! I'll get the job done, like I always have. Now, ...I foresee something ominous in your future...

Aquarius: *sighs, bracing self for the norm*

Scorpio: If you don't let me visit the High School Musical universe and make Sharpay my waifu I will die.

Aquarius: I can live without you.

Scorpio: Hey! I'm your cute, awesome brother!

Aquarius: I suddenly feel ill. Maybe it's your "cuteness".

Scorpio: The ladies tend to be lovesick often around me. It's the bad boy vibe they sense, going all "veer-iooo, vvvviiiyyyr-oooo."

Aquarius: Wait till they learn about your ballet. They'll be totally "veer-iooo, vvvviiiyyyr-oooo."

Scorpio: I know! Bad boys with a sensitive side are very popular these days. And you never did tell me: Who was the guy, anyways?

Aquarius: *sweatdrop* That was sar-What guy?

Scorpio: That guy. The one you stare longingly at. ...Unless it was the ice cream man? Everyone lives for the ice cream man.

Aquarius: It most certainly was not the ice cream man. A-and...I have no idea who that guy is...

Scorpio: Surreeeeee.

Aquarius: I just sense this...Familiarity from him. A burst of courage at a single glance.

Scorpio: Like Zodiac Sign, like Host... Chromrin OTP...

Aquarius: Like...him.

Scorpio: ... My dear Aqua, this is what we call the rebound crush.

Aquarius: Explain.

Scorpio: Simple. Studies over human behavior have shown that when a person loses a significant other, they tend to be more susceptible to the charms of other people. Basically, you get more ice creams to try and find a ice cream to match the ice cream that was the best ice cream.

Aquarius: Are we thinking of the same person?

Scorpio: No.

Aquarius: It's that human. That one with...the courage.

Scorpio: Leo and Aqua~. Then Leo...fell, and Aqua found a hot guy with a six pack to ease her pain.

Aquarius: No, not that one. The other.

Scorpio: ...*face palm* Oh. And did Gemini choose her host yet? And since she's the sign of twins, will she send over twins? Isn't she a twin?

Aquarius: No, her host is not yet clear, but I have sensed her. When we were at that border with the mortal queen was the strongest. I also sensed something else...but I can't quite place it.

Scorpio: ...So, Gemini is hiding her in Plegia. Since our hosts can't travel there with such open hostilities...

Aquarius: They will. When they go to war. If it's Gemini, I don't believe she'll be on our side and hinder our efforts to end this.

Scorpio: Gemini is two faced. A twin in one body, a concept that humans couldn't grasp without physical evidence.

Aquarius: I believe that the good part of the twins is sealed away, but still fused with Host who is in control of the bad.

Scorpio: Interesting.

Aquarius: Someone with part of themselves lost...

Scorpio: Is dangerous. A fragmented soul... is worse. You can't find your 'way' with part of you left on the side Of the road.

Aquarius: Indeed. ...How long do you think it'll take? To bring him back?

Scorpio: So, either the Host will be driven insane or the balance will be restored. ...Aqua. When you lose something. ... It won't be the same. It has been through its own painful journey we would never understand. Change is often and sometimes cruel.

Aquarius: We cannot seal Vaatu with only eleven of us active. I'm not moping, I'm looking at the bigger picture.

Scorpio: Libra is balance. Wouldn't that work, too?

Aquarius: No. Only those who originally sealed him, can do it again. Libra cannot manifest Leo.

Scorpio: She's balance. She is the middle plane, the fragile equality of truth and lies. It could work.

Aquarius: ...It wouldn't...couldn't...Sorry. I'm letting my want for Leo's return get in the way. He's...

Scorpio: I'm being too harsh, Sis. You should be allowed to mourn his loss.

Aquarius: I'm sure he's out there. It doesn't feel like he's gone.

Scorpio: We are eternity. The mortals depend on us to be constant so they can point at the same familiar stars in the shifting night sky. So Leo is still here.

Aquarius: I know, but...here, here. Like...He's assumed another form.

Scorpio: Risky, even for him. Anyways, let's talk about our Hosts!

Aquarius: Go on then.

Scorpio: How the fuck did Libra choose such an uneven, crazy, unbalanced girl?

Aquarius: She may seem exuberant on the outside, but at her core, she is balanced.

Scorpio: Sunshine is weird. How...?

Aquarius: Capricorn...He's always been a bit odd, I guess, but don't write him down as such.

Scorpio: And Cheese Face. ...WHO... HIM! ... Nah, I kid. I like them all. But continue your analysis.

Aquarius: Cheese Face? Who the fuck is that?

Scorpio: Gonzales. Cordelia fanboy.

Aquarius: Despite his exterior, he is quite the genius, an honorary Aquarius...Though his handwriting could be neater and he tends to make runon sentences. With big words.

Scorpio: Ugh. His handwriting... Don't even get me started on the SI he wrote about him and Delia.

Aquarius: I hope he didn't write anything too graphic. Pisces tends to...

Scorpio: ...He's a teenage boy. ...Anyways, Sagey-peggy-chan.

Aquarius: Miyaji?

Scorpio: Sagey. Peggy. Chan.

Aquarius: To develop a closer bond with nature, upon arriving, Miyaji assumed a manakete form, though she is unable to use dragonstones, since...I don't know why Sagittarius decided that.

Scorpio: She's a Manakete? Then Sagey-Draggie-Chan. She can still transform, then.

Aquarius: Scorpio am I speaking too fast for you? I just explained it all. You got it? Okay, let's continue.

Scorpio: No, you didn't explicitly state it. Dragonstones are the common method of transforming, so- okay fine. MAH HOSTY! We burned down that one circus and released all the monkeys and threw lions-right. You were saying?

Aquarius: Virgo's Host. Violetta.

Scorpio: Oh yeah! ...THEN WHY IS SHE PRETENDING TO BE YLISSIAN?

Aquarius: She is Ylissean. She is one of the few that are native to this world.

Scorpio: ... I need to stay in touch with my family more. ...

Aquarius: That you do. Now for...

Scorpio: But my waifu calls. Often. For sing alongs. And beachside houses. And popcorn.

Aquarius: I believe that is everyone.

Scorpio: MAH HOSTY NAO.

Aquarius: *ahem* The newest addition to the "Mother Fucking Squad", as those other Hosts are calling it, seems to exhibit a craziness similar to Libra's Host. And she...

Scorpio: But she has a peggy!

Aquarius: She does. Though there also is a bit than meets the eye.

Scorpio: I know~. All hosts are innately similar to their zodiac~. SO CAN SHE SEE THE FUTURE?!

Aquarius: I'm afraid she cannot. That is your burden and yours alone. Since Apollo sealed Delphi, her powers have only reached him and you. The oracle is useless. And that Roman augur.

Scorpio: Fuck him. Anyways, I predict something bad is going to happen in 3...2...1... *herds of rampaging bulls appear out of nowhere* CALLED IT.

Aquarius: *sigh* Taurus attempting to show off his strength again.

Scorpio: In 5 this time. 5...4...3..2..1... *fishies fly everywhere*

Aquarius: Godsdammit...Pisces.

Scorpio: Sheepies. *sheeps screech and stamp pass*

Aquarius: Aries...

Scorpio: h-hey... A lion. ...*a single lion runs across*

Aquarius: ...Leo...

Scorpio: I'm, going to, I need to, start investigating now. Bye, sis!

Aquarius: Farewell, Brother.

Sometime After The Rap Battle

Erin: I'm sorry Cordelia, it was like some outside force was commanding me.

Cordelia: I am not sorry. Farewell. *leaves*

Erin: ;-; Why can't we be friends?~ Why can't we be friends…?~

Thoaria: Shh….She's lonely….

Erin: Who are you?!

Thoaria: Your mom.

Erin: ….

Thoaria: ….

Erin: ….

Thoaria: I thought it'd sound cool, okay?!

Erin: The story of my life.


	14. Chapter 14: Godsdammit, Cordelia

**A lot of shit's been happening recently and really, it's just pissing me off...So, anyway, this chapter may be up before or after winter break, depends on what I can do before I get to my "prearranged obligations" (vacation). I might be able to type parts of 15, but I'm not sure… **

**A-anyway, without any further ado...Let's begin.**

**Chapter 14: That One Bitch Who Betrayed Us, He Be Dead Now.**

* * *

Don't worry, the garrison is fine. Do you think I'm awesome enough to burn down a building? If you do, you're awesome too! If you don't, you're right. I _did_ burn myself though. Did I mention that I didn't pass fire safety either? No? Well. I didn't.

_**Hmph. I told you not to. You never listen.**_

_I don't need someone to dictate my every move or tell me what to do or help me, Aquarius. I can handle this all myself. I need to keep them all safe, it's my duty now. I need to ease their worries, just as I used to at home and provide guidance and fair judgement._

_**Scorpio was right...You need to lean on others more often.**_

_Scorpio?_

…

_Aquarius, who's that?_

…

_Aquarius?!_

Anyway, we were on the road now. Rei sulked as I smiled smugly from atop Amph, going as far as yawning and leaning back. My badassness was shut down as I quickly realized that Amph did not, in fact, have a head rest, thus resulting in me flipping off her back and face planting. Not one of my brighter moments, Rei's whooping laughter proving my point. I sighed, dusted myself off and got back on Amph, very aware that I pulled a Sumia.

"Hey….Hey, Erin!~" Rei still guffawed. "What's that on your face?"

"What." I deadpanned.

"PAIN! HAH!" She held her sides and proceeded to _cry_. Godsdammit, Rei, how is that funny in the least?

"Hmph. At least I—HOLY SHIT!" A wyvern came out of nowhere, letting out a roar as several more followed it.

"So it begins," Noah said, making me aware of his presence, whilst drawing his bow.

Rei raised a brow and looked around. She frowned, realizing her efforts were wasted, due to how short she was. "Where's the hierarch?"

We were at the back of the group, when we really should've been at the front, ready to use the knowledge we have of the story. It may or may not have helped in this situation. Hell, we could've avoided this whole thing altogether if we had just said something. But we didn't and this was happening now.

Noah nocked an arrow, "Approximately….five hundred feet ahead of us; heading towards the Plegian front lines," and released, shooting it across the craggy expanse. A distant scream was heard soon after. "Not anymore."

"Well, at least that saved Vasto's time…" I remarked, digging my heels into Amph sides, leading her into a walk.

"Wyverns aren't treated very well in Plegia," he explained, procuring more arrows from his quiver. "Shoot the riders off and they will turn against their old masters."

"Good to know, almighty war veteran," I murmured. There was an uproar coming from the frontlines. A pegasus knight swooped down and pulled Emmeryn to the other side of the column. The rest of the guard then followed. "Anyway, I have a feeling someone's going to be pissed at you. You killed the hierarch, even if he was a traitor. He was a trusted advisor."

"See if I give a flying fuck." Noah released another arrow, knocking a wyvern rider off his mount. "One wyvern free."

"All right, Sheps!" Robin called out, waving a Thunderfied hand like one of those runway lights. "You know the drill! Close range on the frontlines; long ranged behind! Healers stay out of enemy range!" So basically that meant everyone but Miriel, Ricken, Lissa, Maribelle (who was staying pretty close to Robby, who seems to have chosen to use magic for this fight) and Virion on the frontlines.

"Should be interesting to see how this plays out, eh Erin?" I barely heard Noah ask over the din of battle...and defeated wyvern cries.

I nodded in response, drawing a steel sword. "Yeah. I'm wondering if it'll go according to plot, though, not how the battle will turn out."

"This ambush is a lot more elaborate than it was in game. Hear the wing beats coming from the mountains? They have put almost their entire Air Force into this battle."

_Gee, thanks. I couldn't see that by the _obvious _amount of shit that was going down._

"That's terrifying. Giant wyverns are going to wreck havoc, unless we get rid of their masters."

"Shoot the riders, and they will free each other. Chain reaction."

"But what if they harm us as well?" You know, like in the movies? You release this sick and sad looking dog and then turns out that it thinks you're its owner and tries to maul your face off. Just me? "They probably see us all the same."

He shot down another wyvern. "Those beasts are smarter than you give them credit for." What's next? Save the Wyverns Association? Wingless Wyvern Foundation? Donate your wyverns today? Save a wyvern and give it a home?

"Right…." Should I use this bow…? Nah. "I guess we'll pair up then. I should probably stop talking, and help….Don't answer that, it was rhetorical." With that we launched into battle….Like the battle had already started, but now we were doing shit. By "we" I mean "me."

The battle raged on. Flamethrowers with wings became our allies as we picked off their masters. The tides of battle quickly turned in our favor as we pushed them further into the chasm. I could give you more details on the fight, I really could, but after a while it became pretty repetitive. _Oh. No. A wyvern...I'm gonna kill it now. Slash. Oh look…..It's dead._ See what I mean? There really wasn't much to note, other than the fact that the wyverns had joined our ranks like Noah said they would.

Everything was going fine. Nothing was going wrong and that had me worried, naturally. Where was Cordelia? Was she all right? Is she dead? Will she quote Peppy Hare? Do a barrel r—I am sorry that you had to read that. Continue on.

Well, a new face flew in from the west with Delia, just as I was about to voice my doubts. "Chrom! Huge problem!" She wore the standard pegasus knight armor, which initially led me to believe she was just some NPC, but then I noticed that there was what appeared to be white swirls that were dusted with stars on the skirt and breastplate. Her dark hair was up in a braid. She's got the special armor like Cordelia and Sumia, so she must be important.

Delia pulled at her reigns, glancing back and forth. "M-Milord! They...are….are coming in from the behind….The...there are enemy reinforcements from the rear!" Her armor wasn't fastened properly and she was visibly shaking, barely able to get her words out: Traumatized.

"Cordelia?!" Chrom asked, making me question how I could hear this conversation from this distance. It didn't seem like he was yelling or anything. "What's happened? Is the capital all right? Do the border remain secure?"

"Ylisstol is safe...Is what I wish I could say as fact, but it is only a guess...The border has been breached." Delia and the new person landed with a _fwomp fwomp_ near where Chrom, Robin and Phila fended off wyvern riders. "The Plegians made their way up from the southern sea and through the western borders. The last I saw, they were being held off by Fort Jaegar. I do not think they will last long, my prince. They were few in numbers."

"And what of the other knights?"

Delia looked away, steeling herself. "The border guards…" She sniffed, her mask sliding off in the process. "They….They're….They're…."

"Let's just say death would be a mercy for them." The new knight said, patting Delia's back in an attempt to comfort her. "Calm down, Dealz. I've given you enough pity passes."

Phila bowed her head, processing the information. "That means you are the only recruits left."

"The two newest ones at that….How pathetic." She pulled at her black pegasus's reigns. "It's a real shame that we couldn't save them, huh Iris?" She barely looked up as a wyvern rider flew in, bringing up her lance and killing it.

"They valued your youth." The knight captain attempted to comfort them by showing a bright side, but her somber tone betrayed her sadness. "It was in their best interests to have the pegasus knights start out strong. That's why they helped you escape, I'm sure of it."

"Then—" Cordelia started but was cut off by a wyvern rider driving an axe into her side.

"Keep your focus on the battle, BAKA SENPAI!" she cried as Delia let out a wail. The new knight tried desperately to help her, but she was held back by the rider's friends.

"CORDELIA!" Phila screeched, being held back as well and torn between her and the exalt.

"I….I can handle this, Captain Phila!" Blood poured from her wound, splattering over her pegasus's coat. "Your duty is with the exalt, not me!" She attempted to strike the rider, but evidently missed as her opponent brought her axe down on the lance's shaft, splintering it and her chances of survival.

"HOLD YOUR RANKS!" Chrom yelled, looking extremely conflicted. It gave me flashbacks of Prologue IV in Shadow Dragon. A sacrifice for the greater good. Maybe this was...No, we can't let her die. We can't.

I scrambled for my bow and some arrows, hoping I could do something. Maybe clip that stupid wyvern's wing. I was about to raise the bow, but then I realized Noah about to do something incredibly stupid. Oh, wait. He just did it. "Idiot!" I yelled. He'd just leaped across the chasm ("Fuck that... I can't let people die when I can help…" he'd said) and onto the wyvern, blade drawn. "You're going to get yourself—" The severed head of the wyvern somehow, by some law of physics, thrown from that distance, landed in my lap. "...Never mind." Hey, at least I now had a war trophy….

Oh, and now he was hurtling to the bottom of said chasm. OH, WAIT. Newbie caught him with her pegasus. Damn...Um. I mean, yay.

"What kind of stunt was that?" she asked, throwing him off when she reached solid ground.

"The kind where I saved someone's life." Noah replied, flicking his sword to rid it of the wyvern's and rider's blood

"IDIOT! I had her!"

"Really? From the looks of it, you were a bit preoccupied. Plus, you would've put yourself in that archer's line of sight." He pointed at said archer's remains. Newbie had killed him seconds before.

"This doesn't really follow videogame logic." At least someone gets what I've been trying to say all this time, even if she was never here until now. "Iris could have easily dodged that. You didn't need to be all heroic."

"Part of my job description," he shrugged. "I am assuming you are Scorpio or some zodiac bullshit?"

"Hey, my name's not "Scorpio or some zodiac bullshit". It's Dusty!" Dusty said, patting her pegasus's mane. "And this is Iris. She'll brutally murder you in your sleep if you're mean."

"That doesn't answer my question," Noah deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes. "Gee, what gave it away? That fact that I obviously don't belong here?"

"What do you know! You do have two brain cells to rub together!" Oh. Gods. No. No. Don't you do this to me. Why? Why are you making me deal with this?

_**And so it begins.**_

_Oh, hey, Aquarius…..Nice of you to join the party._

"Oh, shut up!" Instead of staying to continue this verbal battle, she flew off. "If you really needed to say that then you might be the one lacking some brain cells."

Seeing as our side of the battlefield was free from wyvern riders, I rode over to where the others were. There was a scream and Sumia fell from her pegasus. Gaius sighed, caught her and ran to Lissa. Well, that certainly _is_ something you do see everyday. Sumia down for the count yet again.

"Damn!" I heard Chrom cry out. "Sumia got hit by an arrow!"

Hah! Story of my life, right there! "Hate when that hap—" I stopped myself there, realizing that I should probably care a bit more if my comrade got hurt. "I mean, will she be all right?"

"She will, but her pegasus won't." He gestured towards the horse's now decaying carcass. An arrow protruding from the poor girl's forehead. "She died with an arrow between the eyes."

"Oh, wow…" I nudged the bonebag with my foot. "Poor creature. Well...Looks like she'll need another pegasus or pick up some other weapon...If she still wants to fight, that is."

He shook his head dismissively. "She hit her head in the fall, so I went to fight with someone else." Chrom sighed, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. "And to find that idiot who decided to play hero and declined to take orders."

"To be fair, Delia and that other knight, uh, Dusty, needed help." He frowned. Yeah, not what was wanted to be heard. "But….Uh, yeah, I guess that was foo—"

"Watch out!" I vaguely heard as I was shoved out of the way of a now dead myrmidon. Chrom turned to me as I just mentally slapped myself for not paying attention to the right thing. "You all right?"

"I'm fine." I crossed my arms indignantly. "I-I can handle myself. So d-don't you ever do that again, o-okay?" Wait…Did I just tsundere? Dammit, Erin! You're stooping to all different kinds of low today!

He rolled his eyes, smiling slightly, before becoming serious again. "The Shepherds need to be a team. If he can't be a team fighter, then he doesn't need to be a part of the Shepherds." Now it's my turn to sigh. Seriously, Chrom...You recruited Gaius! He was an _enemy_! You're scared that Mr Fancypants can't work with us when you recruit enemies?! Utter BS!

_**That mortal sure needs to be consistent with his preachings.**_

…_.Don't harm the innocence, Aquarius._

_**What? You were just going on about how—**_

_Shhhhh…...Innocence…_

_***facepalm***_

"Um...Okay. So how will this be decided?" I asked, trying my best to divide my attention this time. "...Just don't tell Robin what shipping is, if you ask him to set it up."

"_You _already told him, and yes, I am going to have to consult him on this."

I laughed awkwardly, "I-I did? Ha...ha...Right, woops. You...You just go do that then...I need to check on certain idiots. Bye-bye!"

"Take care," he muttered as I slunk away.

_Now...What idiots to check up on first? Oh! How about our Star Crossed Lovers over here?_

_**"Star crossed" is a way of saying it...Do not use that term lightly when speaking with stars, mortal. **_

_Awe, meanie. What about you? Do you have a star crossed lover?_

_**...**_

_...Aqua?_

Whatever. It didn't take me to find them because it was one big stare line after Chrom. Look, example. He's standing there, cape fluttering. And look who's here! Dealz! And what's she looking at? Chrom. Who's looking at her? Brandon. But the question of the day is, who's looking at Brandon? Why don't we find out the scoop? How long will it take? The full battle or five minutes? Find out...right now.

I ran up to the subjects of my research. "Hey, guys!"

There's Cordelia, staring at the walking heartbreaker! "Wow. Chrom looks so hot the way his cape flutters in the wind..."

Now, as a reporter, I strive to see through my subject's or subjects' eyes. I took this moment to do so. "I know..." Um...Heh. "I mean...Uhhh...There is a battle going on, you two!"

I seemed to have been ignored, since Gonzy walked in front of Delia, placing himself in the wind's path and, most of all, blocking her view of Chrom. "My shirt sleeves flutter in the wind!"

Cordelia shoved him out of the way, muttering a "That's nice" before staring at Chrom once more.

I sighed. "Fine. Ignore me then."

"His jaw is so defined..." She leaned on her lance as she said this, sighing like a stereotypical lovesick girl.

"Delia..." I poked her, the teenage girl buried somewhere inside me silently agreeing with what she said.

"And he has such broad shoulders..."

Brandon frowned, poking her as well. "Delia..."

"And I bet you ten gp that he is hung like a pega—" To keep her from disturbing us with her obsession, we both decided to cut her off.

"DELIA!"

"What?" Cordelia snapped out of her stupor, gripping her lance tightly.

"There is a battle going on…" I deadpanned.

"RIGHT! Thanks!" She jumped up and onto her pegasus, throwing javelins and wrecking everyone's shit….

I facepalmed, muttering, "Dammit, Chrom. We're going to need to hide you do she actually fights."

My musing was interrupted by a certain stereotypical boss. "What do you think you are doing? Why aren't you even paying attention to me? Why are you just arguing the entire time? Do you know who I am? I am Vast—" He yelped.

Dusty seems to have returned, since this was directed at her and Noah's ongoing sibling-like squabbling. She apparently "poked" him with her lance, giving reason to why he screamed. "And you are a stupid shithead hero complex person with girl issues! You are so cliche!"

"At least I'm not a psychopath with no human emotions!" They both landed next to me, not letting off.

I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "...Can you stop bickering and actually fight?"

"NO!"

"Actually," Robin swaggered on over, holding his "Ship Tome" in his hands, "the battle is over, and together those two took out more than half of the Plegians….While arguing."

Their arguing continued in the background as I conversed with Robin.

"Your mama's so fat, that she went to the whale family reunion!"

"AT LEAST I HAVE A MOTHER!"

"How do you….." I sighed again. "Never mind. So, Robby….What next?"

"Apparently, we have to go to Ferox to get more forces." He leafed through the pages of the tome. "While we are there, I was thinking we could do a series of skirmishes to test the compatibility of units."

"Oh?" That makes sense, I guess. "I suppose that'll be optimal since we're facing the real deal. Not that is was that hard."

We were interrupted yet again by our arguing idiots.

"... And that is why your mom was a dog!"

"At least my mom wasn't a cockroach."

"Will you two stop?" I was quickly reaching my breaking point. "We're trying to have a decent conv—Robby! Don't leave me!" He slowly edged his way out of view.

"Aren't you coming with? I am moving away from the bickering."

That, Robby, makes perfect sense. "...Geez, right. This is why you're the tactician."

"And the Shipping Lord."

_Oh, gods…._

_**It seems that you've unleashed a beast.**_

"...What have I done?" I muttered, wondering what the true majority of the situation was. Robin seemed to not care about my question, cupping his chin in thought.

"You….said this was a….board game? Right?"

"Err...Yes? Metaphorically speaking." Well, I can't exactly say that this was all a game to me...So, yeah. We'll go with that.

"And that there were certain people I could ship in this board game?"

"Yes…"

"Can you tell me who can be shipped with who?"

I nodded, reaching for my 3DS. "So what you're saying is that I'm going to teach the Master Tactician how to play matchmaker?" I laughed at the idea, thinking of a suitable title for myself. "From now on, you must call me Master!" Robin did not look amused. "A-ahem...Okay. Supports. That's what the convos that must take place for the ship to sail are called. Direct your attention to the device." I scrolled through the menu and went to the collection of supports that had been obtained so far. "For example, you and Maribelle have a B Support. You'll talk to her one more time before deciding whether or not you want to marry her. After that, you'll talk to her again and propose."

Robin's face reddened as he coughed to cover it up. "And what else?"

"If you are unsure if a conversation was a support or not, you can view said conversation here…" I went over to Maribelle's name on the list and clicked on the B. Rather than the usual support scenery, an animation much like a cutscene played.

"Uh...L-let's not play that one…." He insisted, forcing the scene to skip.

"Fine. Let's see here...How about this one?" I went to the top and pressed on….

…

…

"Robin. Is there need for me to question your preference?" I asked, referring to the support that was playing.

"...What do you mean?"

"_So this must be the weapon supply….." _The camera showed a very steamy tent. Other than that fact, it blended in pretty well with the surrounding ones. "_And the swords should be right here….OH SHIT. THAT IS NOT A S—"_

"..." I quickly skipped the scene before it became...graphic.

"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" Robin yelled defensively, pulling on his coat collar as of trying to sink into its dark confines.

_Aquarius? Why does our dear friend Robin have the female Robin's supports?_

_**I'm afraid Scorpio had a hand in that. He was rather...excited with the idea of screwing these poor souls over.**_

"Is it safe to assume that the opposite happened as well?" I muttered.

"Y-yeah…"

"No wonder you're best friends." I thought over that script again. "...And what about the sword? You didn't..."

"No."

"Okay."

"..."

"..."

"So you were saying?"

"Right…" I went back to the supports list and went to Sumia's icon. "So, some units cannot have supports, so no ship. Sumia can only S Support with you, Gaius, Frederick and….Chrom. She can have friendly supports with Cordelia and Sully."

"Hm...She must break a lot of hearts then." He looked over the names. "So that's why you suggested Gaius after everyone else failed?"

"Yep. I take those things into consideration, Robby." I scrolled to his name. "Now, Robby, you're a special case. You can support with anyone we meet and S Support with any female…." Huh? There's S's next to males' names too. "Actually, apparently this supports yaoi pairings. So scratch that, you can S Support with everyone. Congrats."

"...Hm. But eventually the Shepherds may have children."

_How…._

_**He doesn't know. Don't worry about it.**_

_Okay...Good._

"So," Robin continued, "these 'yaoi pairings' of yours will not work if we want to make a strong successor generation for the Shepherds. We need that army of supersoldiers. Yes! I shall make genetically perfect wa—"

"WOAH! Hold your horses, Hitler!" I apologize if I bothered anyone with that statement, but this was seriously reminding me of the ethical issues behind genetic manipulation. "Robin, you can only push a ship so far. In the end, it'll have to catch the wind in its sails on its own. There may or may not be a possibility of this second generation as well. The next generation of Ylissean royalty might not want to continue the Shepherds. If they're peaceful like Emmeryn or lazy like Lissa, there's a low chance."

"And if they're like our fearless leader?"

"They, whoever they may be, will definitely continue the tradition. Though, the idea of little Chromions running around terrifies me. Breaking things, being thick as a brick and overly trusting; enough to ask a bear or cricket to join the Shepherds, will _kill_ me."

"Indeed….What about you outsiders? Who do you support with?"

"Not exactly sure. I've searched this countless times and can't find anything on myself or the others." I shrugged. "Maybe they'll appear when you figure out your ideal pairings for us."

"So, what you're saying is; the only real wild cards are those from your world since you don't know who you can support?" He analyzed the situation, scribbling into his Ship Tome.

I nodded in confirmation. "A vague idea really...but I'll leave that to you to figure out."

"Then I will focus on you guys for the tournament." The tactician flipped the page he was on and began to draw a little chart, filling in a few pairings already.

"Ehh, okay. So when do we get to Ferox? Like how soon after we arrive?"

"About a day or so. Might as well get it over with."

"All right…" I glanced around, spotting the two bickering _elite_ soldiers. "Those idiots are still at it."

"And so that is why you are worse than shit!" Noah yelled, seemingly stumping Dusty.

"Well….at least I'm not like….Like..." The pegasus knight desperately grasped for some comeback and shot back. "THOSE VILLAGERS IN PARALOGUE 3!"

"YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO THEM?"

If there were a sword, I'd probably fall on it right now, but there wasn't, so I just facepalmed, sighing, "Gods, and I thought I was immature. Can you please stop fighting like children?"

But still, OF COURSE, Noah proceeded to insult Dusty. "And your mother was a hamster, and your father smelled of elderberries!"

"At least I don't get my insults from Monty Python!" Dusty spat.

I massaged my temples, trying to ward away my now pounding headache. "Seriously. Stop."

"Why? This is fun!"

"Because one; nothing of what you have said has been very nice." I ticked off my fingers. "...And two; you're annoying."

"I have been trying to get her to stop bothering me for the past hour," Noah explained, earning a gasp from Dusty.

"Wait...All of your insults were serious? Wasn't this like friendship or something?!" Their bickering started anew. This went on for several minutes as Robin and I just kept bashing our heads into the canyon wall. That was until Noah made a very wise choice.

"You know what? Fuck you guys! I am out!" He walked off in the direction of the camp that had been set up near the entrance to a cave.

"And good riddance!" Dusty yelled after him.

"You know, you could've…" I sighed. "Never mind."

She gained a faraway look in her eyes and rolled her eyes. "Tell Aqua to never give Scorp control of the cable. High School Musical has been playing on repeat for the past two days."

I let out a sniff as memories rushed back. "My childhood...E-Er...Anyway...So you're part of all this schtick?"

"Apparently, so~," she mused. "Who else is involved?"

"Well, currently, we have Aquarius, aka me, Capricorn, Pisces, Libra, Sagittarius, Virgo, Cancer...I believe that is it." I counted everyone off with my fingers.

She stared at Rei and the others critically as Rei simultaneously lit them all on fire. "Hm...Nicknames...Fanboy or Chum Chum for the Cordelia geek over there?"

"Oh dear...That show."

" I never had a TV. But when you have Scorpio as your sign, you learn a lot of new shit fast. ..DAMMIT HE DISCOVERED ICARLY!"

"ICARLY WAS MY LIFE—I mean, what...?"

"I smell chocolate." She stopped, head raised to sniff the air. "Rich milk chocolate, truffles, to be precise... GAIUS COME BACK HERE NAO!" Dusty grabbed Iris's reigns and and flew off after Gaius.

"Geez, Aquarius…." I muttered to myself, forgetting how that made me look like a crazy person. "What's up with your family?"

_**I never said we were….the same.**_

_**{NEW SHIP! CARLY AND FRED-BOY!}**_

_Wh-who?_

_**Meet Scorpio...My idiotic half-brother spawn of Apollo.**_

_...Awe...Why can't you be fun like that? I wanna watch reruns!_

_**{Climb in Dusty's head with me! It's legit!}**_

_**She will be doing nothing of the sort. That isn't important. Now we must focus on—**_

_**{PARTY POOPER! This is just like the time you wouldn't let me set fire to the rain as I sang Adele and drew on Virgo's face!}**_

_**Maybe because in doing so, you were hurting me in Pisces.**_

_**{Psh, not important! I WAS GONNA GIVE HER A BEAUTIFUL MUSTACHIO!}**_

…_**.How am I related to this dingbat?**_

_**{You know you love me, sis….. ICARLY FOR LIFE! NOW SAM IS WAIFUS! No, kidding…. ONLY YOU SHARPAY!}**_

"Hunt you down without mercy!" Damn. That sounded like Noah. I wonder what went down? "Hunt you down all nightmare long!"

"...That's only if you can catch me, shithead!" Dusty yelled, apparently that statement was meant for her. "I HAVE A PEGGY THAT WILL STOMP YOUR FACE IN! NOT THAT THERE WOULD BE MUCH A DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT LOOKS EITHER WAY!"

_**Children.**_

_Idiots._

_**{Fun!}**_

There was a crunch from behind us, causing us to turn and see Panne trying to block out sound. "That man spawn with the guitar is making it so I can't sleep."

"This is all so fascinating…" Robin muttered, taking even more notes.

"Yeah…" I said, not being able to focus due to the quarrel that was now going on inside my head. "Wait. It isn't! It's annoying!"

Dusty absently muttered to herself. "Nowi is adorable! Are gay marriages canon?" She looked at Robin and he shook his head. "No? FUCK YOU RULES!"

_**Hmph. It'd do you all good to quiet down.**_

_**{*turns up TV to max volume with the addition of K-Pop*}**_

_GODSDAMMIT, SCORPIO!_

{GEEZ! NOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH THIS STUPID K-POP TOO?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!}

_**{YEAH, THE ICARLY LOVE IS REAL!}**_

…

_**Try living with that...**_

Panne crossed her arms and growled. "That manspawn needs to stop. Can one of you stop him?"

"I got it…" Robin sighed, starting to walk over to Noah's tent. "Anything to keep your from eating my toes…What?"

Overall, I think his attempt was successful. Though in the the hilarity category and not the victory category. Why do I say this? Well, seconds after he left, we all watched as the tactician was flung from the tent. A loud bang was heard as the convoy collapsed and a yelp when he evidently landed on the pile of sharp weapons. And as if things couldn't get a weirder, music randomly began to play.

_**Mortals….They can't get anything done correctly.**_

_H-hey! I am productive!_

…

_Right?_

…

_RIGHT?!_

Panne walked over to the convoy and dragged a bloody Robin out. She threw him at our feet and glared at us menacingly. "This manspawn failed. Who else wants to try?"

"Ooo, me!" Dusty waved her hand in the air. "No-No and me are friends now, right?"

I sighed. "...That's a bad idea…"

"Arguing is fun~!" she exclaimed and then decided to change the subject. "You wanna play together~?"

Panne frowned down at her. "The point is to get him to stop!"

"But the point was to piss off people, wasn't it? Because annoying super-powered Shepherds is fun!"

_**Children.**_

_Idiots._

_**{Fun!}**_

Long story short, the Shepherds did not get any sleep that night. It became a high stakes contest to see who could play better. Which Noah won...Sorry, some unknown force *cough* Noah *cough* made me write that. The victor had not yet been determined.

**PHEW. Finally. Done! That was longer than usual...Mostly because we got carried away with the script. So. The mind speaking does become confusing, so I'll put a list below this! **

_**Aquarius**_

_Erin_

_{Dusty}_

**_{Scorpio}_**

**So, yeah. In this chapter, Dusty joined the lil' gang as Scorpio's host! If you don't know already, she's DustedWithStars! Go over and check out her stuff!**

**Now, without any further ado, this chap's BTS!**

Rei: For the llamas! With the llamas! That is all bitches, I rest my case.

Noah: That would have been a good ending to a speech, if there was a beginning or middle...

Rei: Wait...This isn't the Save the Llamas Foundation assembly? Damnit.

Noah: No, this is my apartment.

Rei: Godsdammit, Anna! I'm going to kill you for this!

Noah: Meh. *Tappity Tap Tap Tap Fire tome appears* You want a fire tome? Just keep the carnage away from my house.

Rei: *cackles, thunder booms* This will do nicely...*vanishes, Anna's screams are heard throughout all the realms*

Noah: That will have no lasting effect on the multiverse whatsoever...

Henry: Hey! Have you seen either of my potential Waifus here?

Erin: No...I think she may be blowing up Plegia *boom* ...as we speak.

Henry: Which one?

Noah: Either.

Henry: Of Corpse.

Erin: ...That isn't funny. I don't know what Dusty sees in you.

Noah: She doesn't know what you see in Chrom... She does see what I see in Liv. That kinda worries me.

Lucas: What did you say about Liv?

Noah: Bro. Back the fuck off.

Erin: I sense a storm brewing...And so the Waifu War begins.

Lucas: Eh, what? A war? Th-there's really no need for one.

Noah: You are right. Liv is obviously going to end up with me.

Erin: Hey, Gonzy! Whatcha starin at?

Gonzy: Boobies. I am staring at Boobies.

Erin: Hey Cordelia, whatcha starin at?

Cordelia: *sigh* Chrom.

Erin: Hey Chrom, whatcha starin at?

Chrom: Boobies. Erm... I mean that pegasus knight over there.

Erin: Hey Sumia. Whatcha starin at?

Sumia: Umm... This book Noah sold me.

Erin: Right, right...

Sumia: Something to do with shades of grey.

Erin: ...Rei! Get the Fire tome!

Rei: ...

Erin: Gods, what are you staring at?

Rei: Dat ass.

Erin: ...What are you staring at, Stahl?

Stahl: That cheesecake over there. I will not let it tempt me ANYMORE!

Erin: Hey cheesecake, whatcha starin at?

Cheesecake: *says nothing... Because it is a cheesecake.*

Erin: Right...Hey, Violeta, what are you staring at?

Violeta: Ummm... NOTHING! Totally not that hot guy in a set of armor! Totally not him! HAHAHAHAHA!

Erin: O...kay. Am I the only one not staring at...*stares at Chrom* ...

Noah: I can play guitar. Who has requests?

Erin: Hm...The second opening for Attack on Titan?

Noah: Excellent choice! *begins playing*

Olivia: Gerudo Valley!

*Changes song*

Dusty: Nowi is so cute! She's my waifu, besides Oli. I wonder if I can marry her...

Robin: *crashes through roof* NO! YOU CAN ONLY MARRY A BOY!

Dusty: WHAT?! WHY?! BITCH!

Robin: BECAUSE GAY MARRIAGE ISN'T ALLOWED IN FEA! AND YOU NEED TO MAKE A SUPERPOWERED KID FOR MY ARMY!

Dusty: DAMMIT, RULES!

*boom!*

Robin: ...What was that?

Dusty: The sound of Gaius exploding. He tried to take my chocolate.

Robin: ...Right. I'm leaving, then.

Erin: Hey, Rei? Whatcha writing?

Rei: A letter….And then I'm going to blow shit up! I love it and it's weird because—*shot*

Erin: Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm, that you only meant well?~ Well, of course you did~ Mmm whatcha say?~ Mmm, that's it's all for the best?~ Mmm, that's just what we need, you decided this~ Mmm, whatcha you say? Mmm. What. Did. You. Say?~ *drops tome* OH MY GOD. NO. WE. ARE. NOT. DOING. TH—*shot*

Rei: Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm, that you only meant well?~ Well, of course you did~ Mmm whatcha say?~ Mmm, that's it's all for the best?~ Mmm, that's just what we need, you decided this~ Mmm, whatcha you say? Mmm. What. Did. You. Say?~

Lucas: Hey, guys, I was gonna go get a pizza—*shot* The fuck….

Erin: Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm, that you only meant well?~ Well, of course you did~ Mmm whatcha say?~ Mmm, that's it's all for the best?~ Mmm, that's just what we need, you decided this~ Mmm, whatcha you say? Mmm. What. Did. You. Say?~

Brandon: WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE?! *picks up letter* Dear Friend, by the time you read this—*shot*

Lucas:Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm, that you only meant—

Erin: *shoots Brandon* Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm, that you only meant well?~ Well, of course you did~ Mmm whatcha say?~ Mmm—

Rei: *shoots Brandon* Mmm, whatcha say—

Lucas: *shoots Brandon* Mmm—

Rei: *shoots Brandon* Mmm, whatcha—

Erin: *shoots Brandon* Mmm whatcha say~ Mmm—

Lucas: *shoots Brandon* Mmm whatcha—YOU KNOW WHAT? FUCK THIS! I'M OUT BIT—*is shot by everyone*

*Dusty and Noah walk in*

Dusty: WOW. This was a bloodbath…

Noah: Heh, yeah. Look at this. *picks up letter* Dear Friend, by the time you read this, I'd have killed us all. Erin will shoot me, I'll shoot her, Lucas will walk in talking about pizza and Erin will shoot him and then Brandon will walk in and we'll all shoot him repeatedly. Love, Rei. P.S. Then two of our friends will read this letter and kill each other. ….That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever-

Dusty: *shoots Noah* Mmm, whatcha say—

Noah: *shoots Dusty* Mmm, whatcha—

Dusty: *shoots Noah* Mmm—

Noah: *shoots Dusty* Mmm—

*everyone is dead now. Yay.*

**Woops...My hand slipped.**


	15. Chapter 15: The Trials: Part One

**Phew. I got this done. Finally. There will be more explanation at the bottom. I apologize for the time it has taken. I really do.**

* * *

_**Chapter 15: The Trials: Part One**_

I let out a sigh as I sat perched in a tree in the Feroxi training grounds in East Ferox. Miyaji was shooting at targets, whipping out arrows in rapid succession. I sure pity anyone who gets between her and...and whatever she likes. "She's so good with a bow...WHY CAN'T I DO THAT SHIT?!"

"It takes practice," she said without stopping her volley, her sudden speech causing me to jolt out of the tree.

"GYAH!" I landed hard on my rump. "How'd you know I was there? I thought my camouflage was impeccable!" Yes. I was wearing full camo. I even had face paint and the fancy bush hat that I may or may not have stolen from Donnel. Why he had it? No idea.

"I didn't _see _you," Miyaji elaborated, getting another bullseye and splitting the several other arrows. "I _sensed _you. Manaketes have heightened senses." Because that makes sense...

"Oh. Right." I dusted myself off. "So...Yeah." We were in this awkward silence, so I could only assume that this was a barracks convo and we couldn't support.

"Good day."

"Right. Bye…" I decided to take a trek through the lovely training grounds. Maybe spot some handsome soldiers training...PFFT. As if.

Oh, speaking of soldiers, there's Dylan. I decided on striking up a conversation since we hadn't spoken much lately. "Oh, hey, Sunshine. What've you been doing lately?"

"Not much," he sighed, tapping his right temple. "Mostly Capricorn's been a real ass lately."

I nodded in agreement, crossing my arms habitually. "Yeah. Aquarius is a lil' bitch too sometimes."

_**Ahem. You do realize that we're both right here…**_

_**~How rude of you not to notice my presence.~**_

Dylan smirked, earning scoffs from both celestial beings. "That was the whole point."

_**~Fuck you, too.~**_

_**They're mere mortals, Capricorn. They cannot comprehend our greatness.**_

_**~Tru-~**_

_**{HEY, GUYS! PARTY! WOO-HOO! *throws streamers and presents at everyone's face...somehow* FREE GIFTS!}**_

_***facepalm***_

"And when he comes, she's soon to follow." I began to tick off numbers on my fingers. "3...2...1…"

At that second, making me feel all badass, Dusty dropped from the sky on Iris. "OH YEAH! PAR-TAY!" ...My ego deflated when something that felt like a gift-wrapped rock hit my face. "HAVE A PRESENT! WOO!"

_Geez, who am I? Goliath? _I rubbed my face to relieve the pain, plotting ways to kill that….cute, adorable little kid...GODSDAMMIT, I CAN'T DO IT. "...You're lucky you're cute...and essential to the world's safety. Or I'd kill you."

"Really?~" she sang happily. "Yay! Best friends forever!" Dusty then gestured to Iris, directing my attention there. "Did you know my badass pegasus can talk?!"

"...She can?" I don't recall pegasi being able to talk in the game...

The black pegasus bobbed her head, a voice sounding even though her mouth did not move, leading me to believe that pegasi are telepathic. "Sup, bitch."

WOAH. She speaks my language. "I like this horse….Er, pegasus."

She stamped her feet happily. "Finally! Thanks! Gods above, I hate people who call us horses. They usually end up dead, in pieces and in Dusty's bag."

"I have a horse," I thought of Amph who was currently alone in the stables… "but only I can understand her...And it's normally just snorts-WAIT, WHAT?! Dead?"

"Godsdammit, Iris!" Dusty scolded her companion. "They weren't supposed to know where I kept my curse supplies! NOW I CAN'T CURSE ROBIN!"

Actually, that, at the time, sounded very fun. "...Wait, play pranks on our lovable, Master Tactician? I won't tell!~ Lissa will enjoy this!~"

"Great! I WILL BECOME THE NEW SHIPPING LORD AND-" She stopped herself there before she gave anything away...As if she hadn't already. "I mean... I'mma go burn his muscles from the inside out now…"

"Wow, you go above and beyond…" I muttered, making a mental note to not get on her bad side. "Good luck with that." Dusty shrugged noncommittally.

"I try~. Now, have you seen any dark tomes I can use?" What? She can use those?

"Dark...You have Shadowgift? Hm...Well...I think Robin may have some lying around." Well, apparently he would in Smash...but this isn't that...So... I saw Dusty shake her head.

"Meh... I can probably forge some with the blood of my enemies and the bones of Risen. ...What else do you think makes those things?" Slightly disturbed... Just slightly.

"Well, I'm sure Scorpio would know. He's, according to a bunch of random shit, one of the darkest in the Zodiac. Random shit being Aquarius."

_**I do not appreciate you calling me... "Random shit."**_

_...What? Do you want me to bow down and treat you like...Dr. Coconut?_

_**Is this Doctor Coconut a god?**_

_Yep...He's saved many lives...With his coconuts._

_**Then yes. I would not mind at all.**_

Dusty interrupted the mind argument. "This feels stalwart! We need more parties! And candy!"

"We can't do that today." I sighed at her childishness. "Robin is testing pairs…"

Dusty shook her head, really wanting to go through with this. She started pulling random ideas for parties out of her mind. "We can celebrate your's and Chrom's marriage. Make a powerful Lucina with great skills!"

"...What marriage….?" I felt my face heat up at the idea. When was that ever mentioned? Did I miss something? "I don't recall...Wait...We're not even...What?"

_**{Dustmaster, you gave our surprise party plan away!}**_

"WHAT THE HELL, GUYS?! Where are you getting this idea from?" I yelled, earning glances from the nearby Feroxi soldiers. I glared at them and they shuddered, muttering something about 'crazy' and went back to what they were doing. "We don't even have an A Support yet!"

Dusty made a 'woops' gesture before turning to Iris. "So...Iris? Isn't that Sumia's pegasus over there?" She pointed at the white winged horse who was eating the hair out of an unconscious soldier's head.

Iris immediately looked at Sumia's pegasus and started asking something I never thought a horse-Ahem, pegasus would ever think of asking. "Is that Caeda? Partner, how's my mane? Should you braid flowers into it? Is my coat clean?! Gotta do my best to impress the ladies."

"Huh." I let that sink in. "I didn't know pegasi rooted for both teams….Neat! You're unique and special!"

"Oh, that's because most Pegasi that root for the opposite team are killed and shunned." She pounded her front hoof into the ground in indignation. "'Cause we can't continue our family line."

_Wow….Brutal… _

_**From what I've learned of your world, this isn't a foreign concept in some cultures. Apparently in A-**_

_Let's not call people out, Aquarius!_

_**I wasn't. I was sharing f-**_

_SHH!_

"Oh, so family lineage is important in your society?"

"You better believe my great-great-great times 56 grandpap fought in Marth's army! Family is what drives pegasi society... Partner has the notes, if you're interested."

"That's so cool! I love all that shit. Give em here~" I'm a history nerd, okay? She swatted Dusty with her tail as if calling a maid.

"My papers have been stolen by Miriel," she said with a frown, then glared at the place where the Shepherds were staying. "and TIMMY, the dead body in my closet."

"I hate TIMMY," Iris agreed, stamping the ground with her front right hoof once more.

"Oh….Okay then. So...yeah." ….DEAD BODY?! "WAIT. Why do you have a dead body in your closet?" I was met with a silence that was only broken when Iris cried out.

"They're onto us!"

They both made a break for it as Dusty yelled, "RUN!"

"I was going to say…." I sighed as she hopped on Iris and threw Thunder spells everywhere. "...Never mind. They're gone."

Getting bored of watching generic soldiers train, I walked over to where the rest of the Shepherds were. Well, more specifically Robin, as he was forcing them to face Risen in the space that the East Khan had provided us for training. It was a wide area with cushiony grass, so it was as safe as gym mats, basically. The kind you just want to curl up and sleep-

"I WILL NEVER WORK WITH THAT STUTTERING, USELESS BITCH AGAIN!" Fearing for my life, I climbed up the nearest tree. Sully barged off the flat and began swinging her lance around, trying to hit something that was, evidently, not there.

_...Wonder what I missed…_

"H-Hey! I was fighting with you-" I heard a small voice be cut off, but couldn't pinpoint its location.

"NOW WHERE'S THAT COWARD SO I CAN BEAT HIM UP?!"

"SULLY NO! SWINGING YOUR LANCE THROUGH THE AIR-" Robin yelled before being cut off as well because screams filled the training yard. No one was to be seen, so I just assumed Sully was psychotic. "... Okay then. Shipping Lord needs new shipping tactics..."

I then watched as everyone's favorite blonde ball of destruction walked up to Robin. "Hey! When's it gonna be my turn?" Rei asked, poking the tactician repeatedly. I had to give it to Robin; he didn't flinch or try to slowly murder her like...some people I know. Hey! Don't look at me!

"...We've been waiting a while." Stahl led Pancake over by the reigns, waiting for some form of an answer.

Robin sighed, flipping through his Ship Tome and crossing off their names. "Fine. Shipping Lord says you go next."

"YAY!" Rei yelled as Robin nonchalantly dumped over Reeking Box, because shoe boxing it is for nerds, apparently.

Rei jumped up and down happily and took out her Arcfire tome. "C'mon, Stahl! It's easy! Look!~" She leafed through its pages until she came to an unused page, gathering all the power into her right hand. "ARCFIRE!"

"W-wait!" Stahl tried to stop her since she was so close to his horse. "D-don't! You'll-" Before he could get anymore words out, they were both launched across the training field and into its outer walls, leaving a trail of blazing, dead Risen.

Robin simply facepalmed, looked up at the sky in my direction and seemed to ask the gods why he had to shoulder the burden of the Shepherds. He stood like that for a moment before asking, "Erin, why are you hiding in that tree?" He then looked around the tree at another rock. "...And Chrom, hiding behind that rock does not make you a ninja."

"Dammit…" Chrom said, apparently hiding from the chaos like I was except Robin will kill him for ditching him and not me because Robby's my homeboy. … "You said it'd work!"

He was referring to what he had asked me earlier that day. If you hadn't guessed, it was how to avoid Robin's rage when he realized how incompetent some of the Shepherds were, and that Chrom wanted no part of that chaos. "No, I said if you were ninja, it'd be badass. But you aren't so…"

Robin smiled at our bickering, though it wasn't a "sigh, children…." smile, it was an evil one that sent chills down my spine. "Reeking box for our favorite lovesick couple!" Which was a fact he neglected to mention. "Hello and welcome to Robin's Daily Shepherd Match-Up!" What have I...climbed...into?

"….Oh, so this'll be a dai-" I started before an axe tried to cleave me in two. "WOAH! THAT'S AN AXE! THAT'S AN AXE" I narrowly dodged, throwing off my camo anime style. I stabbed it through the heart and let out a sigh of relief, muttering, "Ninja skills on point~"

Now, Chrom, trying to be a cool kid, I assume, ran at a Risen, yelling out his attack Naruto style. "FAAAALLLCHIONNN!"

Hm. This wall is a nice place to rest your face. I stood there for moment, until I remember I was in the middle of a mock battle. So I jumped off the wall, decapitated a Risen, emasculated one, turned another into a unicorn and cut the next one's limbs off one by one. Needless to say, this was starting to become pretty fun. ...And that fact scared me quite a bit.

After we had finally finished off all the Risen, Robin grinned evilly again. "We need more couple-y lovesick moments!" He called over to his assistant Jimmy (who the hell?!) and pointed at the convoy, that had been brought into the training grounds earlier that day. "BRING IN THE DOZEN REEKING BOXES!"

"W-what…?" Realization slowly dawned on me as Robin opened them all, one after the other. "MORE?! WHAT THE HELL, ROBIN?!"

He laughed and hid behind a rock. "Have fun!~"

Oh, it was a slaughter.

"Okay! Let's see...about 200:2 ratio…" I muttered, trying to pull a Robin and think of a plan, not that one was really needed. "So. Plan is….We wreck their shit, got it?"

Chrom sweatdropped and nodded at my weirdness. "Would you like to take the lead or shall I?"

"Muh?" I processed that for a minute and immediately detested it, thinking of all the ways I could die. "Nah, you should. I'll watch your back, since I'm more adept to that."

"Are you sure? The best way to learn is through experience," he pressed, clearly biased.

Now I'm starting to think I don't have a choice in the matter. Is he seriously Sumia-ing me right now? Well...I guess there is some truth there. "Not giving me much choice, are you? Fine...But only because you want me to." I hesitantly ran forward, not used to taking the lead in a pairup. "L-lets wreck their shit!"

It was a whirlwind of swords. Every time I were to strike, he's was there with the next. Every time a Risen came too close, he was there to block it. And any time a Risen proved to be too difficult for me to beat, he easily finished it off. Always. It made me believe I could actually handle being in front. The Risen didn't stand a chance. We were in sync while they flailed about, dying as soon as they were spotted. So this was what it was like to fight as a single unit….It was like nothing could stop us. Eventually, all the Risen were gone. In a matter of ten minutes, which Robin told us later.

I looked to Chrom briefly, nodded and turned my attention towards Robin, coughing and catching my breath. That was brutal. Robin applauded, having left his hiding spot.

"Good show!" he said, grabbing his Ship Tome and scribbling. "Do you know how long that took?"

"N-no…" I held my side and bent over a bit, trying to crush a cramp that was a result of not enough exercise. "How long?"

"Ten minutes. About two hundred Risen in ten minutes."

"Ten minutes?" Chrom asked, looking duly surprised and unphased by the amount of physical activity. "How about that…." He looked to me and smiled a bit, saying, "See? I told you that you could handle it. We make quite the team, huh?"

"Y-yeah…" I coughed again, berating myself for not being more fit than this. "I think I may be overheated...I'm just going to sit in that shade over there..."

"Let me-" Yeah, no. I don't need help.

"I'm good!" I limped over to the bottom of the tree and gave him a thumbs up, earning a sigh. I relaxed until I realized that I forgot my damn water flask...Oh...never mind, it was here the whole...time. What? "THANKS KELLAM." I said, because I'm pretty sure he did that, and drank a drought.

After a few minutes, Robin made his way over to me. He was apparently reviewing the performance. There were checks and a good paragraph or two on the page he was one, so I just assumed that. "I thought you guys would die! Anyways, good job!" He held it up so I could see. Wow. It simply said:

"_OMG. MY SHIP. MY SHIP IS SAILING. OH GODS. OH GODS. SHIPPING LORD IS AWESOME!"_

Except the letters were ten times that size, hence the "looks like two paragraphs."

Disregarding how he was playing with our lives, I took that moment to bathe in the glory. "Of course, we would! Do you doubt me?" I feel like I shouldn't have asked that because he looked like he was about to start a whole lecture on how much he doubts my competence. "…..Don't answer that. I don't need more shit to cry myself to sleep."

Robin opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud roar. I was immediately on my feet and looking around the area. Over near the convoy was a bear. That bear was chasing Rei. Rei was firing at it. It did not look pleased. The bear was about ten times the little demon's size. Robin sighed and looked over to Chrom and Frederick, who had joined the former while I was taking a break. The prince nodded and made his way over to the bear, probably going to kill it. Words cannot describe how wrong I was.

"Hi, Mr. Bear!" he said in an overly cheery and disturbing tone. Freddy simply facepalmed, something I thought I'd never see him do when it involved his charge.

The bear let out another roar, turned from Chrom and began to maul the faces off some Feroxi soldiers. Thankfully, it was harmless scratching, rather than full blown slaughter.

"So, you want to join the Shepherds?"

I stared in shock, thinking of the various different ways to handle this situation. Of course, my mouth didn't quite agree with what my mind wanted to say, resulting in the usually throw around of profanity. "...What. The. Actual. Fuck. Are you high?"

"..." Robin looked from Chrom to the bear and then to me. Oh no….What do you want me to do now, Robin? Make it go away with my badass powers? I honestly don't think that I can use them w- "While you deal with Chrom, I'll test our next pair!" ….Fine. I'll save the idiot.

"Oh! Oh! Can I go next!" Ricken popped out of freaking nowhere and pestered Robin. And then he realized that he had no one to be paired with. "...But with who…?"

Robin tapped his chin in thought and looked around until his eyes came to Dusty, who sat in the corner playing with Risen parts… "We need to match you with someone who's underage so this won't be wrong! Dusty!"

"...Yes? What?" She looked up from the severed limbs.

The Shipping Lord smiled evilly and grabbed a Reeking box, pulling off the lid. "Reeking boxes. That's what. Now go younguns!"

Iris shot down from the heavens and landed next to Dusty. "Fuck yeah! DEATH AND BATTLE AND GLORY!" The existence of this horse was seriously making me doubt my sanity. Though I guess it's just Naga sending us some comic relief...

"Yeah...What the scary pegasus said!" Ricken piped up, running over to Iris.

"Hey! Shortie!" Dusty yelled, even though Ricken was several inches taller than her. "...Shortie! Get on the peggy with me! Safest strategy! Hardly any damage done!"

"And I can fire at the Risen from all the way up here," he agreed.

She nodded, pulling out an Arcthunder. "Try to severe limbs so I can collect them for my hexes."

The expected happened. Shit blew up. Dusty flew her badass demon-beast and threw thunder spells at the Risen while Ricken assisted her, whipping out Elwind like the shota badass he was. Need I say more? No? Good, you've got the gist. While I was pleased, Robin didn't seem like it, especially after the next twelve or so trials we watched.

"Can I say so far this has been a disaster?" He ran his finger through his hair, sighing, and throwing his tome at the now dead bear. I'll never understand his thought patterns. I think everyone did rather well….Evidently, not in his eyes.

"How so? I'd say that Rei and Stahl did well..." I inquired, trying to pinpoint where exactly everyone fucked up. And then it hit me. "...Even though she blew up his horse."

"Yeah. Most of you definitely have predetermined pairs." Okay...So what exactly is the problem, Robin? "Rei and Stahl, Dusty and Ricken, you and Chrom…"

"...Wait, what?" Has the Shipping Lord set down his gavel? Has his decision been made? Is this his ship? I thought he was kidding before, but...Now he seems to be dead serious. Me and Chrom? A prince and an unemotional, rebellious, hero/god-complex (Okay, sometimes), egotistical, short tempered, bitch? He's being serious here? "Sorry, but how'd you come to that conclusion, Robby?" We're complete opposites; at least in my eyes. We may have good teamwork, but that doesn't mean...Well...I guess we're fighting for the same thing and want the same thing at our cores…

"Thou dost protest too much methinks." Robin shook his head dismissively. Besides. I am not worried about you guys; you guys have great teamwork. I am worried about…"

Yelling interrupted the tactician."Why the heck did you trample me?" An irate Noah asked Sully as he limped off the battlefield.

Sully let out a huff of annoyance, brandishing her lance. "Why the fuck did you get in my way, prick? I was charging!"

They continued to bicker as they made their way over to Robin. "Yeah, but I had the advantage in that situation!"

Robin nodded sagely and held up an image of the weapon triangle with simple you-have-to-be-stupid-to-not-know-this facts, including, field type advantages. "He is not wrong there."

She glared at Robin before looking at Noah once more and spat. "Well, you're mother fucking pathetic jackass that I wouldn't even use to clean my ass, stay out of my way!"

"That is a no."

I looked over and sighed, having to deal with this for hours. "Who else then? There's only...Lissa and I doubt Chrom would allow that."

"Two more," he corrected, reading his list. "Lissa and Olivia."

Oh, that's right. We're in East Ferox, but with both Khans. Basilio left a delegate in charge and came over with Olivia and Lucas. The former being a real surprise. "Oh, right. I keep forgetting that she's here."

"Yeah, but after the show that she and Lucas put on, Noah is going to have a tough time convincing me."

"It can't hurt," I nodded. See? I'm not as biased when it comes to my ships as Robin, "even though I'm on board with that ship."

"The only one who doesn't is Kellam." Kellam? Hm...I wonder where he is…

"...Where is Kellam anyway?"

* * *

**AN: Initially this was supposed to be longer, but realizing how long it was taking me to write and how the word count would equal **_**two**_ **chapters, I decided to break it up into two chapters. I decided this would be the send off. I apologize for the wait, I truly do, but life's been a bit busy lately and filled with wonderful people that, frankly, are more important than this. (But this is pretty high up there, love you guys!) So really, the script was **_**way**_ **too long. I guess we got a bit carried away. That's right. I said we. I'd like to thank Noah (ThatOneSelfInsertGuy) and Dusty (DustedWithStars) for helping with these past few chapters.**

**I've been thinking of going back and rewriting the first few chapters as well, as I've realized, they could be a million times better. So that may also delay the next few chapters. But don't worry. I have part of a few chapters already typed up, so that's good, I guess. Anyway~ If you can or haven't already, don't forget to fav, follow and review!~**


	16. Chapter 16: The Trials: Part Two

**Just to recap, that last chapter ended with us searching for Kellam. I understand that this is a weird place to split, but it made each chapters' length equal. About 5000 words each.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: The Trials: Part Two **

Just then a small voice, presumably Kellam's, came from the darkest corner of...wherever we were. The training grounds. "Right here."

"Gods!" I jumped where I stood and glared at where his voice came from. "Kellam, don't do that!"

Robin looked down at his book and asked, "What did you ship again, Kellam?" since there wasn't anything written next to his name for any of the ships.

"Kellam harem…." was all I heard before I lost track of where he was.

"I thought he was Kellam, not Kirito…." Robby muttered, making me question the extent of his knowledge. If he knows that, does he know how the game ends? Does he know about all the universes? The gods?

"Kirito...What...Er, never mind." I sighed when he gave me 'herp derp' expression, which was….unexpected, but alas... "So what do you expect to happen when we get ideal pairs? Do you want us to go fly off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"

"Except it turns out to be a mechanical flying cat."

I just stared at him wide eyed.

_...Wut?_

_**...It's a passing phase. It seems whatever is holding onto his memories is trying to suppress them with useless ones. Like random facts from some of the universes.**_

"Anyway, let's see what's happening!" He clapped his hands once and looked over at Liv and Noah's performance. He had just sent them out and already there were countless corpses.

Their combo was a dance of death. As soon as one strike had passed, two more were zooming in for the kill. Their movements flowed perfectly into one another, as if they had been fighting together for years instead of a mere five minutes. No Risen could stand against the constant flow of steel like a river. When the last Risen was killed, they both simply turned back to us, and bowed in unison.

Robin gaped at the duo, quickly looking from them and his tome. "Ummmmmm... Can I start to doubt my ship yet?"

"Nope!" Okay, maybe I am biased and can't let my ship sink. "You should always back up your ship! Don't doubt the ship! It will get you far in...life. Yeah. Life."

At one point, Lucas made his way over to watch. And now he looked like he had something to say, by the way he bit his lip. Though, I don't know what it'd be about because his 'somethings to says' are normally directed at me and what just happened clearly didn't involve me.

"Um…" He shifted awkwardly, as if debating something. "What just happened?"

"We fought a bunch of Risen," Noah, who had made his way over to Robin with Liv, deadpanned.

"I thought I told you to leave her be…" Lucas murmured, taking a metaphorical match and setting the house on fire. Yeah. He totally loves her. He always gets this way when he loves a girl. He's all quiet and derpy and tries to kindly tell the other person to back the fuck off. I should know b-What am I kidding? I never had the satisfaction of turning him down. Sigh.

Our resident ninja began to twitch, obviously annoyed by that statement. "Can't exactly do that if I am ordered to fight with her, can I, Smalls?" Now, it's really something to call him short because he's actually very tall, but compared to Noah, he was a midget.

"I'm not short….And just...don't bother her out of battles, all right?" he pleaded.

"Maybe you should grow a thicker skin instead, Smalls." Noah replied rather harshly. "I for one, am interested in interacting with another human being. I am not going to let one man's words stop me."

Lucas seemed to begin his retreat into himself, hiding emotions to avoid pain. "...Fine, but hurt or bother her in any way and I'll…."

_Aww…~ He loooooves her!~_

_**Shh. I'm trying to enjoy the show.**_

_But-_

_**SHHH.**_

"Wasn't planning on it."

Olivia coughed to make her presence known to Edward and Jacob. "Y-you should stop talking as if I am not here."

"Right…." Lucas murmured. "Sorry, Liv."

"Y-you should stop smothering me Lucas. Just b-because you like me, doesn't mean I can't talk to other boys." She hugged herself like she always does when uncomfortable.

"Translation: Calm the fuck down bro." Gee, Noah, thanks for the clarification. I'm sure he didn't need it. ...Well, actually, he probably did.

"Sorry...I'm just trying to repay you for helping me that one time…" Lucas hesitantly formed his BS/makes sense reply. "I guess I'm a bit protective, sorry…."

"...How sexist are you?" Noah asked, earning a look of confusion from Lucas.

"Excuse me?"

"In the army, you are being saved CONSTANTLY. What makes Liv rescuing you any different? If you are basing all of your supposed "romantic connection" off of that, then you are deluding yourself. Just because she is a girl and she rescued you means that you have some sort of love interest? What about boys who rescue you?" Well, that came from left field. Are you sure you know the whole story there?

"...Where'd any of that come from? What's wrong with me wanting to do my part? We keep each other safe...I don't understand how that qualifies."

"I would believe you if you were speaking with your whole heart. What happened to protective you? "I thought I told you not to go near her!" Yet you sit there and pretend you have no feelings. That is where this comes from. Make sure your story makes sense before you go telling it." A Lucas is a confusing creature, you see….I wouldn't be surprised.

"And that's where you're wrong. I do care."

"Then stop pretending you don't." With that, Noah walked away.

Robin sighed, snapping his fingers. His assistant, Jimmy, raised a rescue staff and brought Noah back. Thankfully, Lucas and Liv had already left, preventing another fight or something. "That won't do. That ship must sail. You'll have to try with Lissa. She needs a bodyguard."

Noah sighed, clearly wanting no part of this. "What happened to Lon'qu babysitting the princess?"

"He has been all depressed lately. He was playing with these black butterflies and not paying attention to Lissa. She almost died twice. Okay, not die, but seriously hurt. Almost fell down a well." As Robin said this, Lissa walked up, staff in hand.

" So... They were because of her own stupidity…" Noah sighed again as Lissa pouted indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest, while somehow maintaining a firm hold on her healing staff.

"I take offense to that!" she exclaimed, rather awkwardly.

"There would be something wrong with you if you didn't."

Robin chuckled, pulling out another reeking box and emptying it. "See? Already fighting like an old married couple. Now, off you go!"

Compared to his last performance, this one was underwhelming. All that happened was Noah killing some Risen, getting hit, Lissa heals. Rinse and repeat. Nothing particularly special happened, but Robin apparently thought otherwise.

"WHY ARE YOU SO RECKLESS?" Lissa yelled after the din of battle had ended.

"Why are you so nagging?"

I hugged myself as I came across the ship. "Ship! Ship! I ship it!" I turned to our glorious tactician. "What about you, Robby?"

He evaluated the situation, nodding slightly. "I... See it will take some work."

Lissa, apparently, had other ideas as she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I WANT LON'QU BACK! THIS GUY SUCKS!"

"No can do, Lissa." Robin shook his head. "Lon'qu lost that duty because...butterflies, apparently."

"So, he went emo…?" I mused, getting a weird glance from Robin.

"...Ignoring that. So Chrom decided that you needed a new bodyguard. ...Why did he not ask Frederick? I don't know."

"Chrom doesn't trust me." Noah protested. "Why would he want me to babysit his sister?"

"It's not like he said you would do it. We were going to leave it up to this. You're the only one who's done something productive with her."

"This is bullshit luck. The love of my life gets to traipse around with Lucas while I get to babysit." Noah sighed as Lissa let out an indignant huff.

"I don't need to be babysat!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Then if you need "protection" or whatever, come find me. I am a busy man with things to do." He walked off as Robin and I let out sighs of defeat.

"Hmph, fine!" Lissa yelled, trying to go elsewhere, but where she wanted to go just happened to be in the same direction.

Robin sighed again and asked, "Is it too late to switch to Noah x Olivia?"

Surprised by how the Shipping Lord was trying to burn one of his ships, I immediately tried to stop it. "I'm afraid so, Robin. They are on the verge of an A, according to my...otherworldly tech. It will be hard to catch up since he has never fought with her before today."

"Yes but... Something about those two doesn't feel right... Or is it just me?"

"Shhhhh. It's just you, Robin that I've taken under my wing! Wait, what bird does that make me—"

"No, it is me too." Kellam appeared out of nowhere once more, causing me to jump in surprise. "She isn't a part of my harem if she is married to that guy." ...Well, she isn't part of your harem is she marries anyone, Kellam.

"...Disgrace. ...Anyway, so, Robby...As I was saying, it's just you. Kellam doesn't count since he lacks presence." I vaguely heard him say something like:

"Hey! That isn't true! Why are you ig... It's started again. Damn."

"But I'm the Master Tactician," Robin insisted, "so my bad feelings are right! So…This can't work!"

"Then who is going to watch over Lissa, genius?" How about that Robin? ANSWER THAT!

He pursed his lips in thought. "Um...Maybe Fred...No...fine. I'll let this ship sail, then."

I heard a response from Kellam once again, but chose to ignore it as usual. "Will it sail though? It doesn't seem like it will hold. It is a ragged thing even by not me harem standards."

Nevertheless, I cheered him on. "That's the spirit, Robin! We'll sail this ship to the New World~"

Kellam began to yell, "WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING? I DOUBT IT WILL MAKE IT OUT OF PORT!" but I still, honestly, care enough to acknowledge it.

"Now, if only she could use some form of weapon as well...I'll have to look into it. Maybe tomes? I'll ask Miriel about that…" Robin murmured.

"Why not a big battle axe or something? Tomes are overrated." Oh, it's seems like Kellam is gone now. Good. Now I don't have to focus to screw him over.

I took this moment to collect my thoughts, since Robin had his head buried in his Shipping Tome again. Okay, so apparently the ships that worked were: Rei and Stahl, Brandon and Cordelia (we had to move Chrom off of the premises), Lucas and Olivia, Violeta and Frederick, Noah and Lissa, and Dusty and Ricken. Dylan and Miyaji still haven't found suitable partners. I'd say that went rather well, despite what Robin thought.

"Who ended up being my sister's bodyguard?" Chrom walked up at some point, bear free, while we were both lost in our thoughts.

I looked at Chrom fearfully, patting Robin's shoulder for moral support. "You better handle that one, Robby~" With that I hid behind him as Chrom raised a brow.

"Ummm…." Robin trembled slightly, scared of his best friend's wrath; not knowing the lengths he would go to 'protect' Lissa. "Noah."

He stiffened, moving his hand to Falchion. "Greenie?"

You know, I've always wondered...Is Falchion like some comfort 'toy' for him? He seems to always reach for it when he's either angry, annoyed, scared or even the slightest bit depressed. Though I'm only assuming that last one. He never seemed depressed.

"...Yes."

_Cue snapping noise._

_***crack***_

"GODS! THAT IDIOT? WHO'S LUDICROUS IDEA WAS THAT?"

_Thanks._

"It was Erin's!" WHAT?! SCREW YOU! He proceeded to turn and force me forward like a little brother would. In this case, big brother.

"ERIN…." That is one scary gaze.

_Heh. Heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh….I'M NOT FREAKING OUT OR ANYTHING. D-DON'T THINK THAT!_

**_The thing that bothers me is the fact that you thought that all, laughing included, and then tsundered._**

_….Screw you._

I gave him a sideways two-finger-salute and meekly said, "...Sup?"

His blue eyes flared briefly before softening. "I forgive you. Now I have to go save my sister." Now he's gone…I pray for you, Noah. You may not come out of that alive.

"Phew...Okay, bye then."

"You... OTP." Robin said, bewildered at how Chrom's anger deteriorated so quickly and scared of the bloodbath yet to come. "Those two... Their blood... It is on my hands..."

"Oh well...Looks like the Sheps will be short a member." I shrugged. I'm not that worried, to be frank.

"Why did you even ship them in the first place?"

"Because old married couple. It was too cute."

"Do you even know what that means? It means they argue because they care! Those two hate one another!" Huh? Did I hear something? Nah. Must be nothing.

"And old married couples care for each other so they argue...I see." Robin nodded sagely. "This will work out nicely."

"ITS AS IF I DON'T EXIST!" Kellam looked at the reader, stealing Erin's PoV for a moment. "You know I exist... Don't you?"

"Glad we're on the same page, Robby. Oh, the ships we'll sail!"

"Don't listen to them! Spam the review section! The PM's! This won't work out!" Kellam continued to yell, tapping the camera's lens sharply. Realizing his efforts were in vain, he returned the PoV to its rightful owner, letting out a sigh of indignation.

"What's next?" Robin asked. "Shipping animals? Reptiles? Oh! How about wyverns!" The foreshadowing is real.

I was about to answer him, but the gunshot to my songbird interrupted me. "Hail oh beautiful maiden!" Gee. I wonder who that is.

"Close…" I answered, deciding to be witty and pointed at the slippery snake. "Edgeworth over here."

The tactician snickered. "Hm...I see what you did there."

"Heh, pretty good, huh?" I tapped my chin in thought, going through a mental list of the females that can support with Virion. "Maribelle. They deserve each other."

"NO!" Robin yelled defensively. Oh~ That is blackmail worthy, I believe. "Er...I mean, she absolutely despises other nobles, you know. She told me over tea once. She said she'd pick the 'brute's' side of the fight."

Virion looked at Robin questioningly. "Tell me, since when have you been having tea with lovely maidens such as Maribelle?"

"...OH YEAH!" Robin cleared his throat awkwardly. "We still haven't tested you and Erin yet, Virion!"

Heh. HAH. HAH HAH. HAH. I glared at the tactician. Not just any glare though, the glare. "...Heh, Robby? Why is there need for me to aid this already archest of archers? Do you have so little faith? Or do you have a death wish?"

"Every hero needs a sidekick," he choked out; shuddering.

"Tell me, Miss Erin...Do you like flowers?" Virion asked. It took all my willpower to not kill him.

"No. Non mi piace fiore…" He's European or some shit, he'll understand what I said.

"Music?" Huh, guess he did.

I LOVE MUSIC, BUT I HATE YOU! "No."

"Dancing?" Who are you, Inigo? No. Those first six years of my life were torture with all that ballet, tap and girly-Wait, that was sexist. I mean, I just don't enjoy it. And I can't ballroom dance.

"I hate it."

"What do you like, Miss Erin?"

"You," He seemed to brighten up, before I proceeded to crush him, "in a hole, dead." He seemed unperturbed, and flipped his hair out of his eyes.

"My lady! There is no need for such violence!" He grabbed my hand, and you could practically see the sparkles coming off of him. "Come, let us fly away like beautiful birds, dear Erin, and live far from this bloody battlefield!" Wasn't that his Classic retreat quote? I wish he would retreat... "Because with our love... We can do anything."

"Hmph." I shifted my weight to one hip, and would've crossed my arms if he wasn't holding my hand creepily. "Robin? Do I really have to waste time with this?" Seriously, I have better things to do. Like prank the shit out of Robin with Lissa or read or draw (attempt to) or even play my godsdamn flute.

Oh, look! There's Chrom! Maybe he could help me escape. Okay, I'll kick Virion in the face and Mr. Prince over there can restrain him as I bolt! Perf- "Dearest Erin… Will you marry me?" ...WHAT? WAIT. Don't go away! Godsdammit, Chrom! What's with the 'well, fuck face?!' Why you leave me? With this...this thing?

"...No. I don't even know you, nor do I care!" I ripped my hand from his grasp and walked away, ready to chew out Chrom for bailing on me.

Geez. I'd never expect him to ditch when I was in obvious danger, like, that's really out of character. So naturally, I had to reprimand him for it. I ran down the hall, Virion following like a bitch. He kept yelling out words like "My love!" and "Please, wait!". Fed up with it, I quickly rounded a corner and jumped into a closet.

"My lady! Wait! My love!" he yelled. Thankful for cliche movie logic applying here, I let out a sigh of relief and opened the closet door slowly, peering out to make sure he's gone. He was a ways down the hall, but still in earshot, so I had to be careful. Sneak. Sneak…

…

…

THERE HE IS! …Oh. He's speaking with Virion or something.

"…impending engagement with Ms. Fedelta! Making us Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth. Yes, Your Exaltedness! I was just planning on distributing invitations to all the Shepherds!" I heard Virion say, shuddering. Thank Naga he isn't facing me, or I'd be in for a hell.

…

…

…

Wait. WHAT?! MRS. EDGEWORTH?! WHAT THE FUCK?! ASDFGHJKL!

Leaning against the wall, waiting to pounce, I saw that Chrom looked extremely uncomfortable. Or was he extremely pissed and ready to murder Virion? I could never tell. "That's…Great," he replied, trying to escape, but to no avail.

"I do believe that our wedding shall take place in the spring right between those two trees near that forest we met in." Virion began to traverse into his baseless fantasies, pulling a Tamaki. "Those cherry blossoms would look magnificent with that dress…"

"Huh."

The archer glanced at Chrom briefly and did an 'aha!' gesture. "I do believe that you will make a wonderful best man."

"I need alcohol." You and me both, Chrom. You and me both. …Wait, you meant it? I am referring to the flask he is procuring from space and time. So, it came out of nowhere.

"Yes, we will! Elderberry wines, and thick foamy ales, and—" At this moment, Chrom pulled off the cap and began chugging the wine. Virion did a double take, tilting his head and looking up at the prince questioningly. "Are you all right, my good sir?"

"Fine." And then he hiccupped. HICCUPPED. He's drunk off his ass after just that? Someone has low tolerance. I can't believe he's gone _that_ far though. It's just Virion, so…Wait…OH GODS, HE'S REACHING FOR IT AGAIN!

"You really shouldn't drink like that!" I ran down the hall, karate chopped it, grabbed it as it flew out of his gloved hand and bonked him on the head. "Don't drink! I know he's annoying, but…"

"Congratulations, you two," Chrom said, stumbling slightly. Gods, this is embarrassing…Make it stop. "I hope you have a happy life."

"Happy life?" Is this about that 'Mr. and Mrs. Edgeworth thing'? "What do you mean?" I raised a brow, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Your marriage!" Chrom said in an overly cheery tone that made me cringe. "Virion told me everything. He wants be to be the best man. What an honor!"

Narf. What? I think I feel my lunch…Gag. "Why the hell would I marry that ass?!" That is one terrifying look you have on your face, Chrom. I hope that is not directed at me.

"Virion…" he growled.

Virion seemed to lose all of his gall, shrinking and his hands up defensively. "Yes, may good sir?"

"Bite the curb." Oh gods…Is he really going to do this? Yep. Yep he is. He just punched Edgeworth in the mug. I'd like to believe he was just doing this because he was intoxicated, but I dunno anymore.

"Are you sure you should be doing this, Chrom? What if someone else sees this? Wouldn't that make you look bad?" Apparently, my words had some affect as he let Virion go. The noble bolted down the hall, probably to find a healer.

"…So."

"Yeah…"

Well, this is awkward.

"Well, since you aren't marrying him…" Chrom started awkwardly.

Where was he going with this? "Mhm…?"

I was still trying to discern whether or not the redness of his face was the effects of alcohol. "…Do you want to go out on a date?"

Wut. Did he just…? Well, this certainly is a first! Me? Asked out by him? …Me? Oh, come on, don't freak out now, you're leaving the poor guy in suspense! Say something. COME. ON. "…Mer." Great job, Erin! You said absolutely nothing of importance! "Eh…" Play it cool. Come on. Come on. "Um…Uh, sure, I t-totally don't have anything better to do with my life." Real smooth…

"Great!" he said, before stumbling, "Now if you excuse me, I am slightly drunk," and falling to the ground. Gods, Naga, you're really embarrassing your child.

"Slightly?" I sighed, prodding his side with my foot. "You just chugged Feroxi firewine. That of which I will scold you for later…But now let's just get you to Freddy. Mama Bear would know what to do with you, you poor sap."

"PRETTY COLORS!" And then he giggled. Is this humanly possible? Is Naga screwing with us again? This is really getting out of hand and I'm finding it really hard to believe that a drunk person would act like this.

"FINE. I'll just take you straight to your room then…Gods help me." I grabbed one of his arms, deciding to take a leaf out of Olivia's book, and dragged him down the hall.

"YES MA'AM!" He giggled again. "Thanks for giving me a hand!" ….Well, someone's feeling dorky today. What else is on the list besides puns, puppy love? …I am not entirely opposed to that…

"I will never forget how cute that was…" I coughed, realizing what I'd said. Geez, I called him cute. He is not cute. He's beyond it. "You're welcome."

I dragged him along for a few more minutes, earning weird stares from Flavia's servants. I looked at them in defeat, and held up the flask. They all gave apologetic glances each time, probably having had to do the same at one point or another. Flavia was their boss after all.

"HEY ERIN!" Chrom said, as we rounded the corner that led to his room. "Look."

"…What?" This is really getting on my nerves…

"We are holding hands~" Did he just sing that? And then giggle again? Don't punch the prince, Erin. You know you want to…Just hold back.

"We are." I felt my eyebrow begin to twitch. Great. At least it isn't my swo—Ahem. "Remind me to never let you drink. Ever. Again. I'll inform Freddy later...I guess..."

Chrom immediately became somber. "How do you know I am not acting just to get a chance for the most beautiful girl in the world to drag me across the floor and toss me into my bed. Where we will be alone…" I almost believed him until he giggled again. "Wasn't that a funny joke?"

_._. Which part?_

"Because (1) I smell the alcohol and (2) you couldn't act to save your life." Mhm. Mhm. …Well, except that one time with Validar. Gods. This is scary, knowing someone who's a really great actor. They could be lying to you the whole time you know them. This is why I don't trust easily.

"You should see Emmeryn when she is drunk…" I'm sure that's quite the sight— "THAT NIGHT WAS WILD!" Wut? Is…Is incest a thing with you two? Brain, back out of that territory. I'm sure Emmeryn just blew shit up. It's always the quiet ones.

"I will pretend that I didn't hear that."

"And for some reason…" He hiccupped. "Lissa gets all depressed when she is drunk!" Chrom became somber again and changed the subject. Looks who's a bipolar drunk…or actor. "Why the hell did you decide that Greenie should protect her?"

"The ship." That earned a glare, so I gave another reason. "And he's obviously one of the more experienced among us."

"But he just won't care! My sister needs to be protected, not ignored!"

"She won't be. Have a little faith, will you?" The lack of pride in his comrade was surprising. "He seems like the kind of person that would do anything to keep his friends and family safe, despite not being able to work well with others…"

"But he _doesn't_ care about her…" Chrom hiccupped once more. "He just tolerates her."

"I understand that you're just trying to keep your sister safe. You care for her. You have to be strong to keep her and Emm safe, right?" I explained, using the knowledge that I had collected during my time here.

"….Right."

Point; Erin! "But you can't do that alone, yeah? That's why we are all here. The Shepherds will help you stand if you need it." Having gotten my point across, I decided to take advantage of his seemingly small attention span. "Now just let the ship happen."

"Okay….." He agreed and then unfortunately realized everything else I said. "WAIT, WHAT?! NO! NOT ALLOWED!"

"IT IS A THING!"

"I REFUSE TO LET SUCH A THING EXIST!"

"But I want it to exist!" I pouted, thinking of what Robin would do if I did not support his ship.

_**Brat.**_

…_What was that?_

_**Spoiled. Brat.**_

…

"... This is my sister we are talking about here, and some random dastard that just appeared out of nowhere. I don't think that is a good idea." Well…When you put it that way…

"….Right, sorry. It's kind of odd really." Gods, I'm being so irrational here. This isn't something I should be trying to tamper with a brother's attempts to protect his sister. "You're keeping such a level head for someone who is intoxicated. Meanwhile, I'm not thinking logically."

"Have a little faith in your boyfriend!" B-boyfriend? Mmkay, I'm down with that. "Two swigs of Feroxi Fire brandy won't put me down; not when Vaike insisted on drinking contests with full mugs of the stuff when we were younger." What? Is that even legal? "It is just fun having you drag me around."

"Jesus Christ, Chrom..." Please do not ask who that is. "You really shouldn't be doing that. It isn't good for you. What if you died from that? What would I do? What would we do? We'd simply be shepherdless sheep." Ah, wordplay…I totally have this argument in the bag.

"You will always have Emmeryn." Chrom stood slowly, holding onto my shoulder for support. "So now... I have to murder a certain Assassin named Greenie."

"But Emmeryn is not you…" I sighed, knowing that it was useless. "Can you at least sober up first? If anything? Then you can go free and wreak havoc on the poor guy."

"….Fine. But only since you asked me to." Awe, I feel so godsdamn loved. "You want to come inside?"

"It's not like I have anything else to do…" He held the door open and we both went in. "'Course. I need to make sure you don't do anything stupid."

Chrom then proceeded to show me around as if he we showing me the most amazing thing in the world. He jumped from one object to next like a flash, gesturing at each item like those Wheel of Fortune girls. "See look! Here is the place I put Falchion and uhhhhhhhh..." He spotted this lil' stuffed yellow bunny and kicked it under the bed. "That is nothing... Oooh! Look! See? I had my craftsmen shape my lamp like the mark of Naga see?" Someone loves his culture and heritage.

Oh, I haven't forgotten about the bunny. "Was that a stuffed…..Wow, didn't know you were into that. I always imagined that you would hug Falchion as you slept…." He gave me an awkward smile. "Not that I ever thought of you sleeping..." … OKAY, IT WAS ONCE BUT GODSDAMMIT, CORDELIA. WHY?! I coughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Anyway….Nice weather today, huh?" Because blizzards are considered good weather conditions, genius.

"Yeah. Really nice weather." Oh, phew, he didn't seem to care about that weirdness. "Er…Okay, thanks for coming in!"

"Heh, you're welcome, I guess...Um..." Am I supposed to be doing something right now…? I've got this gut feeling…Fuck. I told Rei I'd help her with the dinner shift and it was that time. "OH SHIT. I GOT SHIT TO DO! Um...Don't do anything stupid...Er...Bye! I'm coming back later, so you better not have any more of that firewine!"

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**AN: Woops. My hand slipped. ¯\\_(****ツ****)_/¯**

**Okay, to start things off: I do not own the Kellam antics or the PoV joke. Those were courtesy of Noah during the scripting process and in his own fic, respectively.**

**Erm, anyway…That happened. I actually wanted this to be serious, but then XD a few headcanons were born and…Don't worry, it'll be serious when it **_**absolutely**_** needs to be. Like, ya know, Emm's death and the Midmire. U.U I've got a whole thing of depressing stories to read, so it should be…at least mildly depressing.**

**Hm~ Since I don't have any BTS for you people today, I'd like to ask you a question instead! I want to know who you ship with who in this fic! I know there are established pairings, but I'd like to see who you think belongs with who, OCs included! **


	17. Chapter 17: We Become Ninjas

**Wow, this take a lot less time than I anticipated. Finished this in one day...Specifically three hours. I guess typing 1k word scripts makes things a billion times easier. I apologize for the filler chapters, I really do, but this is just my way of making this last longer. I assure you that in the next one or two chapters, the ball will start rolling again. If you find any errors, please do point them out the me so I may go back and fix them at a later time. Thanks~ Heh, anyway, enjoy!~ **

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**Chapter 17: We Become Ninjas**

Yawn…

There's nothing to do around here anymore. Why can't Emm get captured already? Er, I guess that was in bad taste, considering that she dies then. Well, that is if we don't save her. Which we totally will because we're a league of badasses. I looked down at the book I was reading, trying to find where I left off when I had thrown my head back. We've been here for over three months and still nothing, so reading, pranking bitches and writing in my journal had gotten boring. Like, who would want to read my repetitive accounts?

Oh, we were in the tactics tent by the way. A meeting had just ended—one I hadn't been paying attention to due to the fact that I didn't give a shit about it anymore. We basically had been going over the plan various times. I could tell you the exact coordinates of where the forces in the three pronged attack will come from—90 degrees west, 25 degrees north for the first, 95 degrees west, 22 degrees north for the second and 92 west and 19 north for the third—and the troop distributions—5270 Ylissean soldiers, 8013 West Feroxi and 1028 East Feroxi. East Ferox lacked forces for some reason. They must have a Snipe problem.

"Erin, who fucked with my shit?" Robin was looking over the pins in the map and the chess pieces that resembled our forces. He seemed to be contemplating something; probably why he just asked that question.

"Um…I dunno." I didn't care enough to give him my full attention; my book was too good, but it was also boring. Eh, this really isn't helping my explanation. "How should I know? Do you suspect me or something?"

The tactician shook his head, placing a few pieces on the map. "My reeking boxes; they're missing."

Well, gee, I have NO idea where they went! Now shut up and let me read. That's what I'd say if I weren't such a nice person. "Maybe because you used them all in the Trials." I deadpanned, turning a page. Jesus, Robin…You really do need to get that memory of yours checked out.

"I bought more with the cash we got from all that bullion," he said as if it were nothing of importance.

"You wasted all of our GP on stupid reeking boxes?!" Robin, the great tactician of Ylisse, everyone!

"Yes, but," Robin grabbed a bunch of paperwork from the outer edges of the map, putting them in a pile and tapping it against the table to even it out, "that gets us even more money and experience. I am Master Tactician."

"Master Tactician or not, what if we run out of weapons before we defeat said Risen?" I stood, closing my book and awaiting the debate to come. I had accidentally picked the illogical side, I was sure of it, but I was still willing to defend it.

"That is why we do it one at a time, but that won't happen because someone stole them," the tactician said matter-of-factly. I was about to respond with my claim, but Lucas entered the tent, interrupting.

"Hey, you guys?" he asked, looking around the tent and sighing. "Have you seen Olivia anywhere?"

I had seen her actually. She had been at the meeting earlier with Basilio and Flavia going over the Feroxi infantry's fighting style. While claiming to not be very good with a sword, she had an amazing memory when it came to styles of dancing and fighting alike. She helped Frederick pick it up rather quickly, so if our troops blended with the Feroxi ones during the battle that will most definitely take place, they'll know how to be synergetic. After the meeting, she had left, muttering something about becoming stronger.

"I'm pretty sure she went out to train," I said after my moment of thought.

"With what?" Robin asked, apparently suspecting that Olivia was the culprit.

Shaking my head, I crossed my arms. "She's not ninja enough to take your reeking boxes, Robin."

As if answering the unspoken question, Lissa ran in in the same state Lucas was in. "Have any of you seen my good-for-nothing bodyguard?" she inquired, looking to Robin, because who wouldn't when a problem arised?

"Well, I guess that's how she got the boxes…" I murmured, waiting for Robin to get what I was saying.

Surprisingly, it took about two minutes, when it should've taken less than one. "Wait, Noah and Olivia training together?" Yes, genius. Took you long enough. I'm supposed to be slow. "Stop them," he said, shoving Lucas towards the exit.

"How?" Lucas questioned the tactician. "I don't even know where they are."

A shiver ran down my spine as another presence made itself known to me. It was a power that all Hosts had developed from being in contact with our divine counterparts. Not seeing anyone, I automatically assumed that it was Kellam. "GUYS!"

"What do you want, Kellam?" I said, earning odd looks from everyone but Lucas, since he had been aware of Kellam's presence as well.

"As I have said three hundred times, I just saw them heading in from the north road." The enigmatic, illusive Shepherd explained. "Something about Borscht?"

Robin cupped his chin in thought, analyzing the asinine situation. "Then they're probably at that place with the 'World's Greatest Borscht' sign."

"What do I do?" Lucas asked.

"Um...I dunno, state your business?" Though I said it, it came out like a question. And thus it went unnoticed by everyone else.

"Tell them I sent you to charge them for Ship Destruction," the tactician said, grabbing his tome and ushering us all—excluding Lissa—out of the tent.

"Charge in like a maniac? OKAY!" I do not think that is what he meant, Lucas….He meant that you were to _press_ charges, not charge…Gods, this will be a long day.

And then we snuck through the streets of Ferox, searching for 'the Disobeyers of the Shipping Lord's Law', whatever that means. It didn't take long to find the tavern; the big sign on the front was a huge giveaway. The structure stood on top a stone brick foundation and the wood it was made of was rotting, barely supporting it as planks hung loose. We entered the estate without hesitation and ninja'd our way to the dark corner, where a table with just the right amount of chairs was situated.

I hid my face behind a menu and put on some shades as Robin and I watched the two 'offenders'—I still didn't know why Robin was making such a big deal out of this—that sat it the center of the room, the torchlight illuminating them so that we had a clear view.

"See?" Noah said, turning to Olivia with a smile. "This is nice. You got a pegasus, and an idea of a new way to fight."

Olivia hesitantly nodded, murmuring a "Y-yeah."

"I hear the borscht here is good," Noah continued, pointing at the menu as he spoke. While he was calm, Olivia was rather fidgety looking anywhere but at him; probably feeling like a traitor or a lovesick school girl. It's probably the former, but you never know.

She gasped, looking at him in awe. "How did you know that that is my favorite food?" Well, other than the fact that it was one of the few Feroxi delicacies, probably a very good guess.

"Lucky guess." Bingo.

Robin felt that things were getting too 'iffy', as he put it, so he sent Lucas in. Lucas, still having the completely wrong idea, charged in like a barbarian would charge an enemy.

"RAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Noah immediately looked at him with the most pronounced 'What the actual fuck?' face you'll ever, and I mean ever, see. "Excuse me?"

Liv was in a similar condition, but not quite extreme. "O-okay?"

"Stop," he said. "She is having a perfectly good time without you. Besides, there is nothing romantic going on." Olivia nodded furiously at this. "She worked hard in training, so I am buying her lunch."

Now, you see, when put in awkward situations, my awkward friend gives the word a whole new meaning. So, as predicted, he went into Weird McWeirdo mode. "Master Robin sent me here because of a disturbance in the shipping force. I am merely a pawn in his little game." Lucas paused, going over what he said. I heard a snicker escape from Robin, making me feel like he knew something we all didn't. "Um…Did I just say that?"

"And you just said the issue with this whole situation out loud. Robin sent you. Robin. Until you represent yourself, I cannot respect you." Hmph, you and me both, Noah, you and me both. He just made a complete fool out of himself.

"U-um…I…Right." Why is my friend such a dork sometimes? This is really irritating to watch. I am dying from secondhand embarrassment here. "If it's just a friendly outing…I apologize…"

"You want to join us?" Noah asked, gesturing towards an empty seat. Lucas gladly took it. "I hear the borscht is good here. After all, Liv deserves the best for all the grinding she did." Lucas's gaze hardened for a moment before he realized that he did not mean….that, but exp gaining. Olivia waved it off as if it were nothing.

"…So what are you doing here, Lucas?" Olivia asked, as she had apparently not listened to Lucas's psychotic yelling…Thank goodness.

"I just so happened to pass by…" Lucas instantly became calm, probably trying to hide what happened before and not repeat it. "So how was your day?"

Olivia instantly began rhapsodizing the events of the day, not leaving out the smallest detail. "Noah taught me how to do all these cool things with a sword, and showed me good tactics on how to fight enemies, and I learned how to fight and dance at the same time!" Be nice if she did that in the game…

"That's great," Lucas mused. "Glad you enjoyed your day."

"Ummm…." Olivia stuttered out some gibberish that sounded like, "N-Noah said s-something about tr-trying to fight i-in a trio."

"A trio?"

Noah picked up where Liv left off. "Yeah. They have double teaming, so why not bum rush the asshole trying to kill us?"

"Surprised Robin never thought of it…" Robin scoffed at Lucas's comment, taking notes in his…. 'Death Tome'? Oh gods…

"I beat this game on Lunatic + without losing a single man…Granted I had to reload a lot, but that is something a stupid person can't do." Woah…I-I can't even beat the damn game on Luna-Class….I need to kidnap this guy sometime and make him teach me. Hell, if he doesn't I'll just pull the senpai card that seems to work in Haikyuu.

"Right. I'm sure that'd be interesting." Lucas looked to Olivia. "Your thoughts, Olivia?"

"I-I told him that I wanted to fight with you…" Olivia glanced up hesitantly, looking back and forth between both guys. "Even if it feels so natural fighting with Noah, I like fighting with you at my side."

"Just how it winds up sometimes…" Noah said sadly. I don't know why, but I felt something in my heart shatter. This was…Damn it. I'm not even involved and this is making me feel depressed.

"Um…Are you going to join us next time then?" Olivia asked meekly.

Lucas nodded, plastering a grin on his face. "Anything you wish. It'd be fun."

"Three swords tend to get in the way of one another, so if we flank the enemy like this…" Dude, stop being so contradictory. One moment you're for it, the next you're dead set against it.

Robin noticed this and slammed his fist against the table, letting out a low growl. "Grrrrrrrrr..."

"Dammit." I said halfheartedly, agreeing with Robin to prevent the worst, but keeping my normal sarcastic tone all the same. "He's sinking the ship…It's burning and it's g—"

"There is no guarantee anything is sinking." Kellam's voice came from the darkest part of our dark corner. "Look at the magical pocket device thing."

"…I'm being dramatic, shaddup." I procured my 3DS from my pocket, scrolling to their supports. "…They have A's. All three of 'em. Aw, cute—Er, I mean…Plan has a chance." I replied, returning my focus to our stalkees for a moment.

Lucas had taken up a Phoenix Wright stance, now in a heated debate with Noah. "…Yes, but if we do that then that leaves your right side open for a strike…"

"What the hell?" Robin gaped at the group. "I am the tactician here! They need me."

I shushed Robin, watching Lucas apply his nerd skills. "He's a nerd too. Let him be tactician for now."

Robin laughed humorlessly at that. "OH SURE! Let's all just be Tacticians! Let's just call ourselves the Tactician Knights instead of the damn Shepherds. I AM TACTICS GOD! DO—" I punched him in order to shut him up before he yelled out more things.

"SHADDUP. People are staring." I glared at all of the mofos that looked at us. Thankfully, our stalkees were still in a heated debate and did not notice us.

"And people still don't notice me…" Maybe if you got rid of the armor and stepped out of the dark, creepy corner it'd help.

"You get used to it." I muttered. "Well, you should know that. Anyway….Let's see. What are they up to now?" Once again, I returned my attention to our targets.

"Okay…" Noah said, looking at the others at the table. "So, why do you think Robin only lets us operate in pairs when we have proven that larger groups are more effective?" Yeah, that's had me wondering for ages as well. Why must we fight in pairs?

Lucas shrugged at this, while Robin—he'd somehow already recovered—snickered again. "I guess it's because he thinks he's some almighty shipping lord or something, so he puts his ideal ships together. Fire Emblem: Ship Simulator." Indeed, Lucas, indeed.

They finally agreed on something; Noah had nodded in agreement. "Precisely."

"Why are w-we talking about naval vessels?" Olivia asked, clueless as to what the guys were talking about. It's funny how she interpreted it as shipping people. Always brings a good laugh.

Lucas shook his head, chuckling. "Because….." He cleared his throat to stop a foreseen rambling. "It's an Ylissean thing."

"O-okay…."

After what seemed like ages of waiting, the waiter finally came back with the food on a silver platter. He took off the lid and placed the three dishes in front of each person at the table. "Borscht!"

The waiter then left and the group began digging into their food. The moment each of them took the first bite, a look of disgust washed over their faces and they forcefully swallowed.

"This is shit." Noah stated, not caring to mince his words.

"Yeah." Lucas nodded. Hah! They agreed twice in one day! A bloody miracle! "This is really bad borscht."

Olivia nodded as well, pushing the plate away. "E-ew…."

"Maybe we could go somewhere else…" Noah said after a while. "Like a place where Robin and Erin can't follow." Wut.

He noticed us? I thought we were invisible! Ninjas! How? I-I don't understand….We did everything that the group does in the movies, so how?

"How…" Robin muttered.

"DAMMIT!" I exclaimed, gaining the attention of many, many more people. "I thought my shades were disguise enough….Kellam. Attack. ….Kellam? Where'd you go?"

"Hot springs probably. He is looking for recruits." Noah hypothesized as Robin raised a brow in confusion.

"Into the Shepherds?" the tactician asked.

"No, into his harem." A silence swept through the room as we all processed this information. Kellam…He had any perverts dream power, when you think about it. He could sneak into any hot spring and…

"I knew it. He does take advantage of his ninja skills. Hot springs will never feel safe again."

Another silence took hold of the room, lasting for minutes until Lucas pushed out his chair and stood. "Let's blow this pop stand."

Olivia looked over in confusion, so Noah elaborated. "That means leave, Liv."

"O-Okay…" She murmured and then looked to us. "Good luck, Robin!" With that, they all left.

Robin laughed. "I don't need luck. I'm the Master Tactician."

"Pssh. Then I must have high luck to not be on your bad side…" I muttered, but my words went unheard as Robin mused.

"How will this play out?" he asked thoughtfully. "This just became wild and unpredictable."

I raised a brow, shaking my head at the tactician's random daftness. "But isn't life always wild and unpredictable?"

"The ship can go either way," Robin continued, "and for once, I don't think I can control it."

Taking that as a victory, I decided to be all poetic and wrap up our epic tale with some philosophy. "A great thing has happened today. Robin has understood that he, a control freak, mustn't be in control of everything, but let the beings of this fair land make their own choices and—"

"BUT I MUST!" Robin interrupted me. I dunno what was going on with him, but I think he realized that he earned himself a death wish. Well, at least I hope that he thinks that. I have power fantasies, you see…

"NO!" I yelled at him, wanting to get my point across. "You listen and let things happen, Robin! You can't play with us like puppets and expect us to tolerate that! You hear?! We are people. Treat us like it." Robin froze for a moment, hopefully preparing to concede. I was ready to accept my victory, but he opened his mouth to respond.

"But I am the Shipping Lord!"

"I don't care if you're Naga!" I began my rant; one that I've been holding in all day and just had to talk out. "I don't want you messing with my or anyone's life! …Let it just happen…"

"But some marriages are tactical and some aren't!" Robin insisted, not looking at this in the right way. I guess he was more 'robot' than human. A genius, yet a fool.

"You've set it up." I glared at him, forcing my point across once more. "Let it play out. Then you'll see how successful 'your' marriages were."

"But this one…Olivia could go either way…" YES. I NOTICED, GENIUS! NOW WILL YOU STOP MENTIONING THAT EVERY FUCKING FIVE SECONDS?!

While my mind was just a fiery inferno, I forced my demeanor to appear calm. "Okay. She could go either way. So. What."

"But we ship Lucas. What if it happens for Noah?"

"Whatever. I don't care anymore. As long as everyone's happy in the end. Then I'll be fine. With any ship."

"Whatever." Robin echoed. "You and Excellus."

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**Phew~ All done! Welp, you know the drill! If you enjoyed fav, follow or leave a review! See if you can catch the references I made! I know this isn't much of an AN, but meh. And it's not as long as usual, I see that...Well, I might not get any updates next week due to Spring break starting and I'll be away doing shit where THERE IS NOT INTERNET. ...Yep. The caps was necessary. But-uh-yeah!~ **


	18. Chapter 18: Can We Ever Catch A Break!

**AN: I'm back with a chapter. Finally. I had no access to my computer for a week and also no internet. I have been working on saved documents on Google Docs on mobile, so future things have been gotten done. Updates may gradually go back to their initial rate. Hopefully, anyway.**

**I've also changed up Aquarius's and the other zodiac's telepathic communication. **

**Zodiac: "(optional symbol to determine which sign is speaking) Speech." **Action, or tone.

**Host: **_"(symbol) Speech." _Tone, mental action.

**Now that that is settled, let's begin!**

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**Chapter 18: Can We Ever Catch A Break?!**

There has to be better ways to fuel my boredom. Read? Boring. Draw? …Nope, let's not dwell on that. Write? I'm afraid that'll be absolute crack and anyone who reads it would doubt my sanity. Well, if they hadn't already. Having Aquarius in your head can be quite taxing.

"_SO BORED. ENTERTAIN ME."_

"…_**Rainbow unicorns on fluffy clouds singing 'Everything is Awesome,'" **_Aquarius deadpanned.

"_WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, AQUARIUS?!" _I shouted in my head._ "Now that song is stuck in my head again!"_

"_**You're welcome."**_

Mentally flipping her off, I stood and walked over to my desk deciding to write in my journal. Pulling out the chair, I opened the leather-bound book and grabbed a quill, filling in the heading.

"_May 2__nd,__ 2611_

"_It's been that long? This war has been going on for almost two years? If I recall, I started this journal on November 14, 2609, so more like one and a half. It's really hard to believe…As is the idea that the exalt hasn't been captured yet. To our knowledge anyway, which I suppose is a good thing, but there has to be a reason why her letters have stopped coming. Chrom didn't seem to notice how dire the situation was, or he just hid it well. He tends to pretend he's an idiot, I've discovered, and it's no fun anymore …But that's beside the point. Honestly, someone should've said something by now. Well, they all seem to be busy having fun with their Significant Others. I, on the other hand, have been lazing around, doing nothing. Actually, scratch that, I've been keeping up with my training, but other than that nothing notable has happened…for me to share, that is. Sigh. You know, I always have this feeling in my gut; a thing that makes me feel like I'm forgetting something. It's probably nothing, or Aquarius poking fun to screw with me, as she normally does on a daily basis._

"_Perhaps, it may happen today or tomorrow. I sure hope we make our way to Plegia soon. We've really only been here to train for the past month, otherwise we'd have been executing Gangrel for all to see. Chrom would be anyway, I don't think I could kill the monster if I tried. Destroying Risen is one thing, but killing a man is another and…I'm not strong enough to do something like that. I may be or seem heartless, but I absolutely DO NOT have the gall nor courage to kill a man intentionally. We all know what happened to that poor Feroxi soldier a while back. The one I accidentally beheaded with a 'skillful strike.' It seems that I don't have the stomach either… I'm a soldier, a Shepherd, a ZODIAC for Naga's sake! I should have the ability to kill without remorse or regret…Right?_

"_I've tried saying that anyway. I've seeked Robin's counsel—no one needs to know I went to him for help—but that hasn't helped. He doesn't understand. Possibly because he's Robin, a tactician on which our victory hinges. He can't be afraid and needs to assure us all that we will be safe and nothing else._

"_I would have voiced these thoughts to Chrom, but he has more to worry about than my mental state. Like…The state of the army or both of his sisters' wellbeing. I'm not worth that amount of thought, hence the secrecy._

"_I haven't even told Rei, one of my best friends, about this. All I knew was that she'd tease me endlessly about it. I haven't told Lucas, mostly because he's been so occupied with Olivia. Brandon would've been incessant in his smart remarks. I felt that I shouldn't bother Dylan; I trust the guy, but I don't know him very well and did not want to confide in him. The same went for Miyaji and Violeta, despite the fact that she reminds me so much of my older sister, even though she's younger than me. I would've said something to Noah, but he'd probably either say something, uh, dark, vague, deep or slightly feels inducing. Dusty would've lectured me on the values of happiness and being an optimist, or she would've shown her darker side and said something philosophical. Aquarius is out of the question, mostly because she knows what goes on in my mind. I don't like conversing with the other deities, because they piss me off. Except for Scorpio (at times), he can be pretty deep._

"_I guess I'll never understand, I'll always be too naïve. Wisdom may come from experience, but so does fear and regret. And there's a whole lot of that in my heart. At least, I think so…Long talks with Scorpio tend to go to your head, and you find yourself seeing things that are there, but also gives you delusions of what may be there. I believe that to be Dusty's power from Scorpio, now that I think about it._

"_I am not, and never will be, wise or grow accustomed to this. I know I'll lose everyone, not physically, they'll be alive, but I'll be abandoned. It's happened so many times that…I've come to be able to predict it. That's why I grow attached. That is why I hide my feelings. I need to be prepared for that final blow. The blow that can end everything. And I'll be alone again."_

I would've written more, but a knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Straightening my shirt and letting out a sigh, I stood, dragging my feet across the floor and opening the door, casually leaning on it. On the other side of it was prince himself in all his glory. Gone was his cape and royal garbs, and in their place were nice street clothes: a simple dark blue tunic wrapped in a black belt and beige trousers which were stuffed into boots. The question was: Why? I didn't recall…

"Oh…What is it, love?" I looked him up and down, trying to figure out why he was here. "Do you need help with paperwork or something…?" That had been one of the few reasons we'd commune in the past month. There were others, but this was the most common one.

"Nope, not paperwork," he said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out into the hall. "We're going out for our day off."

"How bold of you." I laughed at that. "As you wish, milord." We proceeded down the hall, until I stopped abruptly. "Are you sure Robin will allow this?" It was a time of war. Surely, we were allowed some forms of reprieve, but…Is it really necessary?

"Since when do we listen to Robin?"

"…No wonder you almost die on a daily basis…" I muttered.

"What was that?" Chrom raised a brow.

"Heh, nothing…So, where to for our amazing day off adventure?"

Chrom pulled a parchment from his pocket and unrolled it. It extended towards the ground and rolled across the floor. Oh, gods…I'm a bit scared now. "Well, Gaius gave me this list." He scanned it, going through the whole list before I could read the first two options—they were a candy and a brothel—surprising me, to say the least. I thought reading a page in fifteen seconds and absorbing every detail was fast, but this…Wow. "You wanna burn it?" I'm pretty sure I heard Maribelle yell "Want to! Nobles do not say otherwise!" at that very moment.

I nodded. "A brothel is not fun. Especially not those strip clubs…And sweets sound nice, but no." I grabbed the list, turned on my heel and threw it down the hall. Rei jumped from the darkness, conveniently, and set fire to it. And hopefully not the rest of the castle. Their blood would be on my hands. "Then what else is there besides those things?"

"Well, there's a carnival in town…That sounds fun and it'll be leaving soon." A carnival? I heard Sumia saying something about that. A flower thing, right? Yeah, I believe so.

"That May Flower Carnival that Sumia was going on and on about?"

"Yeah, that one," he said bluntly. "Do you think anyone else will be there?"

I shrugged. "Whoever they are, I hope they don't interrupt. It's our day off after all, and I rather like not dealing with so many idiots." We continued down the hall, heading towards the Khan's palace's entrance. "Like, Robin can pop out of nowhere and be all like 'Uh, herp, derp. Take this paperwork and do it' and then I'll kill him. I swear, if he really does end up stalking us…I just have this tiny gut feeling that he will—and I'll shut up now lest I jinx it."

"Robin bothering us wouldn't be so bad—minus the paperwork part."

"Yes, yes, we all love our smug bastard." I rolled my eyes, lifting my hands up in a hallelujah gesture. "All hail the mighty Shipping Lord." Moving my hands back to their original position, I sighed. "Still, I have a feeling there will be stalking done."

Chrom shook his head. "He hired Kellam to follow his…OTP's? Is that what those are called?" I grunted in affirmation. "Well, whatever that acronym means. And it's just Kellam, we'll be fine."

"Just Kellam. Just. Kellam." I tutted, thinking over the many things he can do with that power while stalking people. "The day that man isn't dangerous is the day Cordelia marries her crush."

"Brandon?"

"Sure."

Eventually, we made our way out of the palace and into the square of the surrounding city. It was odd to see so many flowers in Ferox, since it had such a cold climate. Perhaps they're like those Moon Flowers from Titan's Curse? They just needed moonlight, correct? Anyway, wooden poles held up various stalls in the town square. Vendors sold items relevant to the carnival and owners of carnival games ripped people off. Heh, just like when I was home with everyone and we'd got to the spring fair…Right. We're here now in Ylisse and that's all that matters; that and saving the world. Don't think of what's lost, it's your day off. Enjoy it.

"What's with the face?" I jumped out of my thoughts as Chrom spoke. Geez, now he's perceptive. Has the universe turned on its head? Everything is being proven wrong in a matter of seconds. Robin's making stupid jokes every half hour—what is this, Asleep?

I plastered on a fake smile. "Nothing. This is just a bit nostalgic. I went to many fairs and carnivals as a child."

"What are they like where you're from?" he asked innocently, genuinely curious about how it was for me.

…_You just had to ask that question, didn't you? _

"…The same as anywhere. Nothing different really." I murmured blandly. "Maybe more modern, but at its core, people still got ripped off at carnival games and ate pricey food."

Needless to say, it was an average day at any carnival you can ever imagine. Great imagery there, I know.

Well, that was until I saw the retards that were trying to swallow swords and breathe fire like Natsu. Certainly no one buys this, right? It's just…A ploy. I saw it on America's Got Talent. They use these types of "swords" that are blunt and shrink when they hit the side of your throat. The only skill you need is an unresponsive—possibly nonexistent—gag reflex. Fire, on the other hand, I can't really explain it. So if I were to explain the setting in a sentence, it'd be: Your everyday carnival with people who rip you off, but add a medieval twist to the normal idiots who try to eat or do freaky things with inanimate objects.

"Look." I pointed to said idiots. "People pretending to swallow swords."

"And fire," Chrom added.

Waving my arms in their general direction, I said, "They do realize that no one buys the act, right?"

Chrom simply shrugged, watching as Lissa walked up to the performers with her bodyguard. She watched them in awe, unable to take her eyes away. She does realize this is fake, right? Gods, I thought Ylisse, the continent, had enough idiots.

"Wow!" Lissa gasped, eyes sparkling. "How do you think they do that? Do you know, Noah?"

The bodyguard in question stood behind Lissa, looking awfully bored, and deadpanned. "…Magic."

"Wow! You are so smart, Noah!" Lissa cheered, believing that the response meant literal magic and not the figurative one.

Noah looked to Chrom pleadingly, saying, "Kill me."

And that probably would have been the outcome, if I hadn't already speed-walk-dragged the prince away from the area before things got bloody and nasty. As we all know, Chrom hates the guy's guts, despite their first interaction on Christmas when Chrom willingly let him into the Shepherds. Gee. I wonder what went wrong. Maybe it was the various times he's done something stupid. And became Lissa's bodyguard. Probably that last one.

"Ah…" He made a grab for where Falchion's hilt would be if it were there, but for some reason, he decided to not carry a weapon today. I guess he has a lot of faith in my 'karate'—which basically means we're fucked if put in some form of danger, as I did not have a weapon either. "I must resist the temptation…"

"Just keep walking," I said in that way that lets the beau know that shit goes down if they disobey.

For the most part he listened, occasionally glancing back until we rounded a corner and they were no longer visible. After that it just a nice quiet and comfortable stroll through the carnival grounds. All was peaceful and there was nothing to worry about. Just the idea of being in one another's comp—

"Hey, look!" Chrom interrupted my inner monologue and point at a stand. "Carnival games!" At the stand he singled out hung a giant yellow rabbit. Something drastically changed in his eyes as he looked at it. Gone was the calmness and stubbornness, in its place was the look of a kid in a candy store. "I want it."

I sighed, looking from the stand, to him and back. "I'm sure Lissa would love it."

"…Not for Lissa."

I pursed my lips, beginning to pull him along again. "Moving along." Chrom didn't budge, so I tried again with more force. No dice. "Come on. The rabbit is unnecessary."

"You don't want it?" he asked.

"Well, I just don't think I'd need it. I mean, I love stuffed animals, but…No." I shrugged and then realized the obvious. "Unless you want it…" From the way his eyes widened and sparkled sadly, I can only assume that was a yes. Damn him and his knowledge of my weakness. I WILL NOT FALTER.

I glared, trying to force my resolve onto him, but his puppy dog eyes were too strong. He said, "It is the only way I can bring it back without anyone questioning it…"

Gods damn him.

"Don't you have that other…?" Knowing any further argument was useless, due to his stubbornness that apparently outmatched mine, I sighed in defeat. "Fine."

And so Chrom handed the nice man money and began to play the games while I watched from my emo corner. The game proved to be too much for him, as I was right about the fact that he wouldn't get anything out of it and ultimately fail. I was expecting some form of epicness, but I'm evidently biased, so that was disappointing. This went on for about ten minutes until he looked like he would purposely break something, rather than accidentally. And that…That's scary.

"This game is rigged!" Chrom said indignantly, slamming his hand on the booth's wooden tabletop.

"Let me try," I volunteered, sort of wanting to beat him at _something_.

The stand man—I didn't have anything else to call him—gave one of those fake smiles and explained the rules for the umpteenth time. "Hook a ringer on the bottles! Five gold gets you three tries!"

I handed the man the gold and took three rings. Leveling it with the bottles, I tossed the first ring. It bounced off the top of the bottle and rolled towards the back of the stand.

"_**Are you really that daft?" **_Aquarius mocked. _**"The bottles are wider than the rings."**_

"_I don't think that's the case," _I replied. _"Normally, it works at carnivals, but just barely. I've won this game before. I can do it again."_

"Let's try this again…" I grabbed the second ring and missed. The third one landed right on the rim, giving me some hope that it would hang on it, but it slid off, joining the others in the mess Chrom had made with his rings on the floor. I could've sworn that there were a few broken ones.

"Good try!" the stand man chirped creepily.

Chrom wouldn't have any of that, and began arguing with the stand man. "Give us the bunny, you cheat!"

"No cheat!"

I shook my head, grabbing one of the floored rings, "Then explain why, if I do this," and reached over the bottles to try and fit it on one, "it doesn't fit?"

"Um…"

"Just what I thought," I said triumphantly. "Now hand over the prize, or we tell everyone about your little scam."

The stand man then smiled evilly, gesturing towards Chrom. "I don't think so." At his neck was a blade, its owner standing behind him and holding the prince's hands behind his back with his free hand. The man had Grimleal markings on his face and an attire to further prove his affiliation.

Chrom strained his neck as far away from the blade as he could, muttering, "…This is embarrassing…"

_No wonder Robin doesn't let him out on his own….Gods…_

"You thought this was really a stand game?" The stand man pointed at the bright as day Mark of Grima on his sleeve. This was very, very facepalm worthy, but I wouldn't because if I closed my eyes for a second, things could go terribad. "Gangrel wants this one alive—" Oh, good, nothing to really worry about then. We could always save him if need be. "—sadly, the same can't be said for you." What.

I took a breath, trying not to yell at the endearing idiot. "You took us. To. A. Grimleal. Carnival?!"

Stand Man shook his head. "Just this stand sadly... We knew of the lord prince's fascination with Yellow Rabbits from many...many interesting interrogations with the Exalt." He smiled creepily at this, implying very, very bad things had happened to Emmeryn. And I'm not talking about whipping.

"Emm?" Chrom asked, gritting his teeth as the Grimleal applied more pressure to the blade.

"Don't worry," Stand Man leaned towards Chrom all creepy like, close enough that I was certain he could taste the fiend's breath, "we will take you to her soon."

"…You think you can take us? Just like that?" I tried all the cliché hero lines that came to mind, this being the least retarded thing I said.

Stand Man shook his head again. "No. Just him." He apparently thought I was referring to the kidnapping and not taking him down. Idiots will be idiots I guess.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, everyone's favorite Russian-not-Russian mercenary appeared out of nowhere and drew a sword. "Sorry pretty lady," Gregor said. "Gregor is supposed to kill you now."

_Gregor…What…No, there must be a reason…He's a mercenary, yes, but…What's his reasoning here?_

"Hmph. You think someone like you can kill me?" I bluffed. I was unarmed, weaponless, and only had my talking to keep me alive. Well, there were also my special powers, but they were pretty unstable, especially in this climate. I've come to notice that the climate affects my powers. And I can only assume that the desert won't be any better than mini Iceland. Wait, Greenland.

"Gregor has made with the killing of many worse people." Gee. If you only knew. And if I only could. Damn climate. It was a lot colder than that last time, when we stopped that avalanche. Or Deus decided to be a bitch today and disable my powers.

"_**Deus…? You mean my secretary?" **_Aquarius laughed. _**"The only thing he's good at is making coffee miraculously appear at my desk."**_

"…_Your input is not needed now, Aquarius!"_

"How about this?" I continued as if Aquarius had not intervened telepathically. "If you help me get this guy, I'll make sure you get a fair bit of gold, got it?"

Gregor shook his head. "Not about gold. They pay Gregor in gold, yes, but they also threaten little girl." Nowi. There's his reason.

Gregor swung his iron blade in a wide arc, aiming towards my feet. I easily jumped out of the way, kicking his feet out from under him; a move my uncle taught me when I was younger. "I don't want to hurt you." I tried my best to press my ideals onto him, just to get him to run back to Nowi. "You aren't one of them."

The mercenary caught himself with one hand, and easily pushed himself back up. "Just because Gregor is old, does not mean Gregor isn't spry."

"I never said you were." I looked up at him this time, no longer caring about our fight. Gregor apparently did not either, since he was holding his sword point down; a universal sign of ceasefire. "I just do not wish for us to be enemies. I know your friend's life is at stake, but surely, if we get rid of these guys, the others won't know. You can say that we proved too much for the simpletons."

"Too late!" Gregor said. "Employers already gone. Gregor's job is done."

I looked around, just realizing now that they had escaped with Chrom. "Fuck," I muttered under my breath. Gods, Erin, you fucked up big time. You had one job. Well, to be fair, this nice mercenary was distracting me the entire time. So, yeah. You can't really blame me. I lose things often. Normally humans, as far as Rei is concerned.

"Do not worry, pretty lady!" the mercenary remarked, probably trying to make me feel better about my fuck up. "I saw assassin with green cloak and the princess following behind them." Gregor began to leave the area. "Gregor is done here."

_Assassin with a green cloak and the princess? He must mean Noah and Lissa…_

"Thank you, for not killing me." I smiled at the older mercenary before turning and running in the other direction. "I'll remember this! Naga bless you!"

I picked a random direction and stuck with it, hoping they had gone that way. The crowd had cleared up in the area so I had apparently chosen correctly. Two figures appeared up ahead, both in green, leading me to believe that they were indeed the princess and her bodyguard. With them was who I saw were Olivia and Lucas as I caught up. On the ground near them was the Stand Man, his Grimleal buddy gone—probably escaped when Stand Man had been caught—and an unconscious Chrom.

"HEY!~" Lissa turned called when she noticed my presence.

Noah turned as well, gesturing towards the two on the ground. "Came a little late to the party, didn't you?"

I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "I would've if I weren't preoccupied. Sort of had to defend myself from death like powerless, normal human without a weapon."

"We saw this coming a mile away…" Lucas paused. "Well, not 'we' really…Just Olivia."

Olivia blushed, hugging herself, as she was put on the spot. "Um…That obviously wasn't a carnival worker…I have worked plenty enough to know…"

"I had suspicions when they had that rather large rabbit that Chr—" I caught myself, remembering how much embarrassment it would cause him. "Well, when they had that one _I_ wanted. Meh. Wanted to catch an Erin, I guess." They all seemed to buy that BS reasoning.

"Chrom is still out cold," Noah remarked.

"Awe…" Lissa cooed, leaning over her brother. Even though she looked worried and thought it looked cute, I could see the mischievous glint in her eyes. She would be using this later.

"And this was supposed to be a day for him to relax in all this war." I frowned. "All other days have been filled with paperwork and replying to Emm's letters that…mysteriously stopped…Crap." I had forgotten about that fact, which obviously meant that she had been captured.

"Umm…" Olivia started. "Basilio wanted me to tell you that Emmeryn has been captured." Bingo. "…But this was more important."

"Mhm…" I nodded in affirmation. "We'd best get him up." I knelt down on one knee and placed a hand on the unconscious dork's shoulder.

Stand Man took that moment to yell, "Grima, take you all!"

"Shut up," Lissa's bodyguard said. "We are only keeping you alive for information."

That's the only reason he'll live? No. Death…There's been enough of it. I do not wish to see another needlessly die. "After we're done with him, I want to let him go." This received odd stares, but it was what I believed, so I paid it no mind. "I don't think he deserves to die for being forced by his king to fight. The one who tried to kill me was in a similar situation. They used blackmail, and that is probably the case with this man. I bet his loved ones were threatened."

"Grima, take you, bitch!" Stand Man spat.

I looked at him pitifully. "I'm giving you a chance for mercy, yet you keep on fighting." Emmeryn may die for her ideals, and they might not exactly be the best at times (like, jumping off a cliff), but I still respect and support some of them. No man deserves death, no matter what they've done. Where they were to go, would be more than they deserved if they were truly evil.

"All of you will be food for Grima!" He pointed at me. "Except you…" Is it because of Aquarius? "We need all the females we can get for a constant supply of food—" Lissa wacked him real hard on the back of the head with her staff, knocking him out.

Cows? That will be the purpose we serve? I'd rather die. Forced to bring children into this world to face death almost immediately? Grima will be stopped, along with this new threat. I swear it.

"_**That's the spirit…" **_Aquarius muttered her input.

"_It's what I here for, after all. And if it weren't my purpose…I'd still try. There's too much evil here…How could I have been so naïve to it?"_

"It seems as if they're all crazed and heartless…" I muttered, gazing forwards at nothing in particular. "I still do not wish to kill him though."

"That isn't for you to decide," Noah said.

"You think I don't know that?! I'd—" Chrom stirring awake and leaning forwards interrupted the fight I had been subconsciously picking.

"I believe that is my job," he said as I helped him to his feet.

I took a breath, calming myself. "Not now, I hope. There's no honor in killing a defenseless man."

Chrom shook his head. "I am not killing him…Robin would have my head."

Smiling slightly at that, I said, "Since when did Robin call the shots? Is he really that terrifying?" This reminded me of Tamaki and Kyoya's situation in OHSHC. We've got the dorky prince/king figure and Robin's the best friend/smart one/totally pulling everyone's strings.

Despite my attempts to lighten the mood, it appeared to go right over his head. "This is a military matter now. This man has important information. This is my decision too."

"But what about after you get all the intel you can?"

"My decision. It will depend on how much he tells us."

_This is so damn frustrating!_

"_**He is right though. This is not your job." **_Aquarius chided._** "You should not be making decisions, or trying to, anyway."**_

"Right, of course…" I still wasn't satisfied, and I'm sure he noticed my dissatisfaction, but I understood and accepted that fact.

"You don't sound satisfied."

_Of course I'm not._

"I just need to accept that…um…" I paused, huffing in annoyance. "Never mind. I don't need to sound satisfied, since it is not my decision."

Chrom apparently realized his mistake. "…That doesn't mean I don't value your opinion."

"I…I just can't believe that that man is doing this on his own will." I murmured, prompting Noah's input.

"I believe it," he said. "There are some horrific things in Plegia… Or at least there were in my world…"

"All right then…" So there is a possibility that this will follow the same path. Except this time…We'll stop it. "…Guess I'm just too damn naïve." It's true though. I'm blinded by the goodness I wish to see, unable to see the darkness. I realize this now, and I just feel so stupid for it.

"There has to be a reason they have been raiding us other than to provoke war… Entire villages abandoned without a single corpse…" Chrom continued, possibly referring to the report he got from the border that Robin had to use forensics on.

"Abandoned villages…Hey doesn't that sound like Hitler?" If people were disappearing without a trace, other than wrecked villages, then that could mean they are being carted off to concentration camps.

Noah shook his head. "It isn't quite the same. They aren't working them to death... They are fattening up the boys for Grima's consumption, and the girls are being bred into a reliable food supply."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lissa tilted her head in confusion.

"It is a fancy way of saying that they are Grimleal rape fodder."

Lissa pouted. "...You didn't have to be so direct..."

"Subtlety is lost on you."

"Fascination conversation." I interrupted to prevent any more bickering as Lissa looked like she was about to retort. "But I think it is best that we head back to the others. Or at least meet with Fredders and Robin."

"I got them!" Dusty and Iris landed next to us, very conveniently might I add. "Why did you want me to bring the Shepherds, Noah?"

"You organized this, Greenie?" Chrom asked, surprised, I guess. His thickhead doesn't allow a lot of Noah tolerance.

The assassin shrugged. "I figured you would have something to say."

"Right…" Chrom nodded his thanks and turned to the assembled Shepherds. "Shepherds! I am sure that you probably heard that Emmeryn has been captured."

Miriel smirked, very slightly, and pushed up her glasses up her nose. "According to my calculations, this had a seventy-five percent chance of occurring. Now hand over the gold, Robin."

Robin reluctantly handed Miriel the gold, receiving glares from the others. "Damn, Miriel…"

"Ahem." Chrom cleared his throat to return everyone's attention to him. "All done? Good. They probably outnumber us ten to one in Plegia, but we have to rescue her. Not only will we go into Plegia, but we will win because we have better troops, better equipment, and the best damned tactician that the world has ever seen."

Robin, who had been sheepish from being reprimanded before, now raised a hand in a 'No, stop it!~' gesture. "Awe, it's no—"

Rei interrupted, yelling, "And you know what else we have?!"

Our captain ignored that and continued. "We will win because we have t—"

"We have magical powers, you know!" She was stating fact… "That makes us helping you an even bigger advantage!" They have a better chance because of us.

"…" He ignored her again and continued. "We will win because we have to! They just poked a sleeping dragon. People who do that..."

…

…

…

…

"Get burned."

* * *

**AN: Wow. That's all I have to say for how this turned out. **

**As for other things, for you Maze Runner fans, what Chrom calls Noah is actually a reference. Meh. Probably noticed, but I felt like pointing it out.**

**Well, now for some BTS.**

* * *

Chapter 18 BTS

Just Some Carnival Games:

Erin: *sigh* Well, that was one helluva carnival.

Chrom: *holding the giant rabbit* Mhm.

Robin: Awe, that's so cute. You won her a rabbit!

Chrom: Y-yep…

Erin: Nope. I won the rabbit.

Robin: For yourself?

Erin: For him.

Serious

Erin: Rei is having a serious day. So much that she feels the need to sit in a big person chair, like a person, and stare off into the distan—

Rei: Hey! Don't compare me to Meredith the cat!

Erin: You are barely a human th—

Rei: I'LL SHOW YOU! *punches*

Erin: *barely flinches* Ow. That hurt _so_ much.

Rei: *grabs fire tome*

Erin: Fuck.

(From Ilongwayfromhome on Tumblr)

What if We Were Wizards?

Gryffindor: Courage, chivalry, determination, bravery, nerve, daring, strong of will. Colors are Crimson/Scarlet and Gold. Element is fire. Animal is a lion.

Slytherin: Cunning, resourcefulness, ambition, leaders, self-preservation, determination, cleverness, fraternity, power. Colors are Green and Silver. Element is water. Animal is a snake.

Ravenclaw: Intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, originality, individuality, acceptance. Element is air. Colors are blue and bronze. Animal is an eagle.

Hufflepuff: Dedication, hard work, fair play, patience, kindness, tolerance, unafraid of toil. Element is earth. Colors are yellow and black. Animals is a badger.

Erin: I think I'd be in Gryffindor. I like to believe I am determined, strong-willed and chivalrous, but not courageous. Certainly not. But then there's Slytherin…I dunno now.

Rei: Hufflepuff! I like cute things!

Lucas: I'd say Gryffindor, but then that'd sound egotistical…I guess Ravenclaw.

Brandon: Naturally, a genius and good-looking man just as I should be in Gryffindor!

Violetta: Um…Totally Ravenclaw.

Erin: I think Dusty would be either Hufflepuff because of her patience and loyalty or Ravenclaw because of her wisdom. And Noah would either be Gryffindor or Slytherin. While I believe he is determined and courageous, he also strikes me as cunning, resourceful and ambitious, which truly defines the house and not evil, despite those who come out of it.

Rei: Yeah, yeah! Agreed! I think…Dylan would be Ravenclaw and Miyaji would be Hufflepuff.

Erin: What of the other Shepherds?

Robin: Step aside. I've constructed a very complicated list according to those movies you made me watch and the output of these houses as well as the traits that members exhibit. *holds list up* It reads:

Chrom: Gryffindor

Lissa: Gryffindor

Frederick: Gryffindor (Robin: It would have been Hufflepuff, but we all know Frederick's separation anxiety, and families tend to stay in the same houses.)

Sully: Gryffindor

Virion: Ravenclaw

Stahl: Hufflepuff

Sumia: Hufflepuff

Miriel: Ravenclaw

Kellam: Hufflepuff

Vaike: Hufflepuff

Ricken: Gryffindor

Maribelle: Slytherin *crossed out* Gryffindor

Donnel: Hufflepuff

Anna: Ravenclaw

Cordelia: Gryffindor

Libra: Hufflepuff

Tharja: Slytherin

Erin: *snickers* Even you think your girlfriend is evil, huh Robin?  
Robin: …She has her moments.


	19. Chapter 19: CSI

**Mmkay. Yup. Yes. Mhm. Yeah. It's here. Finally. After a week. It's actually on time oh my gods. XD Yeah, I'm surprised too. SO. Anyway, uh, I'm out of things to say just...OH YEAH. Each OC will get one chapter centered around themselves in a third person standing point during the two year gap. If you would like a specific scenario, do PM me. If your OC has not appeared yet, that is because their chapter will be centered around their appearance, as I need to introduce them properly. If you feel that I need to do something specific with their personality or introduction, again, PM me. And if your OC is in this story, feel free to choose something bizarre. Just not lemony or something like that ^-^' I've got some special treats planned for ya'll, so stay tuned for the two year gap. This includes guest chapters that will be in first person.**

**All things said, let's continue!~**

* * *

**Chapter 19: CSI**

It took a while, but we finally got the Grimleal cultist—Stand Man—gagged and bound in a very convenient interrogation room at the Plegian fort that was near an oasis that we had captured prior to this being documented. It was much like a modern one; a one-way mirror separating two rooms, enchanted to bring sound from the culprit's room into the room that looked through the glass, while keeping sound from the investigators' room from passing through and instilling a sense of fear with the fading concrete brick walls. Enchanted because this type of technology did not exist—this was the explanation Robin gave me.

The Grimleal cultist—obviously the culprit—sat defiantly, refusing to speak as Robin walked in through the hidden door. The rest of us: Rei, Noah, Frederick, Chrom and I, watched. I leaned on the desk parallel to the mirror, hands splayed across it, using my self-taught CSI/Game Theory/whatever the fuck this is skills to try and analyze the culprit's movements. It would take a simple glance at his eyes to know if he were telling the truth, and a peek at his facial tics to tell if he were lying or not. Covering of the nose or ears, or nose scrunches were normally clear indicators—that is called the Pinocchio Effect; an increase of temperature around the nose which causes the person to cover the area to stop the tingling feeling. Eyes drifting to the left would show that he is lying, as he is right handed, excluding the bottom left, as that indicates they are not lying about that specific thing. His eyes would drift to the bottom right.

Minus all those facts, I had been making progress with "Smash Run" training with Aquarius and had developed the ability to read emotions. It was kind of weird, to be honest. It was like looking into their soul, but not really. Just staring at their face and connecting the dots.

Behind me stood Noah, evaluating the situation from afar with a bored, but sharp gaze. Frederick was standing nearby in his usual manner; solid and unmovable with his hands clasped behind his back. Chrom was slightly in front of Frederick, on the knight's left side, arms crossed firmly over his chest, a slight frown on his face. Rei looked extremely bored, trying her best to be serious, and was doing surprisingly well. I had apparently called it too soon, as she walked over to Noah and began to tug on his cloak. The assassin was unfazed. That of which took a great deal of skill. This _is_ Rei we're talking about.

"What are you going to do?" The Grimleal cultist smirked. "Torture me? I would gladly die for Lord Grima!" His defiant glare became manic as his eyes widened and his pupils contracted.

Robin chuckled to himself opening his tome and reading it like a crime report. "Oh, we're not going to torture you….Physically." He paced back and forth menacingly. I peered closer and saw that the man's face was slightly pale. This would be an easy nut to crack.

"I shall not talk!" he screeched, planting his feet firmly on the ground underneath the oak table he sat at.

"You'll sing like a bird when we're done with you." Robin slammed his book onto the table and turned to face the glass, smiling evilly. "Bring in the Rei."

"Who?" Rei stopped tugging on Noah's sleeve like a creep and smirked just as evilly, walking into the room as Robin left. The man looked bored by her entrance, losing the questioning look he had had seconds before. Of course, he didn't know Rei and obviously underestimated her. It's not a hard thing to do when she's 4'10" and blonde. Not saying blondes are dumb, that is just the overall impression she gives.

"…Is this the guy I'm annoying to death? He looks rather…" She looked at the mirror and then realized that she couldn't see us. "…Meh, whatever. Mr. Grimleal! Do you like waffles?"

The Grimleal cultist was unamused, and most certainly not nearing insanity. Well, the kind that spilled all the details; the kind he didn't have. A few moments passed and he began to grin like maniac. "You will be bent over, tied to my bed so that I may create more food for Lord Grima!"

Rei shook her head, pouting at the prospect of being ignored. "Hey…You didn't answer my question! DO YOU LIKE WAFFLES?!"

The man deadpanned in response. "Only if I am eating them off of your naked body while I strike you with leather whip embedded with glass." If anything, I noticed the fear be instilled in Rei, rather than the cultist. She easily hid it, as it was my power that told me she felt this way, and not a traitorous emotion.

Rei nodded firmly, leaning against the table for support. "Now that question is outta the way…DO YOU LIKE PANCAKES?!" A collective sigh came from the observation room; this was very painful for us all to watch.

"Same answer, replace waffles with pancakes." The Grimleal was becoming impatient, I could see it, but he also hid it rather well.

"…Do you like French toast?"

Robin facepalmed, the smack loud in the bouncy room, and leaving a nice red mark on his face. "THIS is the best we have?"

"Same answer, replace baked goods." Grimleal said. "Just assume, bitch!"

"You're not very nice…" If Rei were a cat, her ears would have flattened and her eyes would've gotten all glossy. That was what her tone said anyway.

"Well…" I started, embarrassed and fearful for my best friend. "Rei is supposed to be the best. Libra rules over inner balance and judgement, so…" Despite her crazy antics, Rei was actually really smart and good at this stuff. I know she comes off as crazy, but she was in all the possible AP classes back home. She also shouldered flute, softball and violin, and that added to her GPA with more hundred averages. She wasn't a refined genius, but she did have intellectual worth and anyone who says otherwise will face me.

Noah sighed loudly, drawing everyone's attention and shaking his head. "…Geez… You guys aren't even doing this right…"

"We're trying the mental approach first. It's a tactic often used on CSI." Or something like that. I really only watched Cold Case, but whatever. They don't need to know that.

"This guy is either too stubborn, or too stupid for the mental approach." While his rationale was indispensable, I enjoyed watching the show and really didn't care whether or not the cultist cracked, as long as I got a chance to be all badass. Um, it's boring around here, all right? And I've totally wanted to do something like this since forever. It's probably what I would've done for living at home if...well I were home. But we all know we're never going back. We've made our mark on this world, and we need to stay here now so things go right. That's our job. We're guardians now. And our decisions become less and less ours...

"…and that is how loudly I think you will scream," we heard the latter half of what the cultist said. It must've been bad because Rei seemed to be having a mental breakdown. Still, being the best liar in the history of the universe, she played it off rather well. She had the most elaborate lies. I never believe her when she does, and just question her on it. She apparently takes this as me being gullible and not investigative. Hah. I'm not gullible. Right? ...Right?!

"Ohhh!~ Screaming? I love screaming!" She sang. "Especially when everyone's screaming 'cause they're dying 'cause of me!" Now this was completely true. And terrifying, but mostly true. We've plotted the murder of many, many people many, many times. We never went through with it, but she came up with the most bizarre and far-fetched scenarios that actually worked. There was this one time—Erm, right. Never mind.

Another evil grin spread across the cultist's face. "You will be doing the screaming when I—"

Noah interrupted by sticking his head into the room to save all of our already dirty minds. "Trying to keep a PG-13 rating Mr. Grimleal." The Grimleal simply glared at him until he went back to his original spot.

Rei frowned, bringing out her Long Island accent. "C'mon, Grim-Grim! Talk to me! There's gotta be something you can share with us!" As much as I hated when she used her accent because it annoyed the crap out of me—I don't have one for some reason, so I can say it's annoying—it was funny in this one moment. The Grimleal gave her a hilarious "what the fuck" expression, raising a brow. When she didn't say anything else, he continued.

"At the end of our plot, all of the males will be dead, and all the females will be bred," the Grimleal said. This plan was becoming more and more disturbing as we went on. To be honest, the offensive things didn't scare me, but the fact that innocents were being dragged into this...It was horrible.

Rei tilted her head, pretending to be oblivious of his motives. "Oh, so you want to be Pokemon Masters?" Typical Rei. Finding comedy in the most disturbing and serious speeches. I guess that was a talent of hers; she always tries her best to amuse everyone. Huh, maybe that's why we're friends. Yes. I have always been debating that since the day we met.

"What the hell is Pokemon—?" The Grimleal sighed. "Never mind. You will be bred so that all your children will be fed to the dragon." So you're going to force children to be brought into this word only to inexplicably and inexorably face death? That's...No. Forgiveness. Always offer forgiveness. Murdering him now would only make you just as bad of a monster.

"…DO YOU WANNA BE A MASTER?!" Rei yelled.

"What in the flying fuck is that supposed to mean? I AM your master!"

"…" Rei cleared her throat. "DO YOU HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE—"

The Grimleal sneered. "Untie me, take off your clothes, and find out."

"Hm…" Rei pulled out the chair on the other side of the table forcefully, and sat down. She took a pen from the table and clicked it repeatedly as she thought of her next tactic. "It seems this song is not torturous enough." She smiled evilly and began to sing the devil's J-Pop. Think for a minute, I am sure you will figure out who sings this song and why it is the devil's J-Pop.

"You are singing Grima's anthem!" Grimleal man say what? I was only kidding before, but this is actually your god's anthem? Geez, no wonder he's the fell dragon, he listens to this fell stuff. "'I will eat babies, babies, babies OH!'" Rei abruptly stood and slammed her hands on the table.

"GODS. SHUT UP. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE PISSING YOU OFF! GODS!" I can't believe it. Rei has reached her limit. She never does, and that makes this a bad sign. Just how stubborn is this guy? We're threatening his life, there's no time for "heroics," so he should just spill.

The Grimleal shook his head. "You are, but really, you are only making things worse for yourself when our roles are reversed." He seemed to really push this idea of him being successful. It'd nice if he'd just shut up about it already. Honestly, we don't give a fuck about how hard you'll bang her. So just stop.

Rei took up a herp derp expression and turned away, muttering, "…Welp. I tried. Who needs math for things in life anyway…" and then left. How math related to this subject, I'll never know.

Robin sighed, tapping his pile of papers on the desk. "Who else can we send?" Now that is a question we all want answered. I sort of want to, because—if I get started, the fangirling won't stop—I'm a CSI nerd.

"Well, maybe I could try…" I downplayed my excitement. "I've dealt with Rei, certainly this guy isn't that bad."

"I think that girls aren't the best people to be interrogating him," Noah piped up. Well, you sexist li—"I am not being sexist, I am just saying his retorts are sexual in nature..." There is some truth in that statement, I suppose…

Letting out a huff in annoyance, I let it go. That was logical, and I should abide by it. "…Meh. I've heard worse…Why don't we just both go in at once?"

"Because your presence will only stir him up." Stir him up? I don't care. I want to do _something_. ...Well, I guess I'm not going to win this one. That was logical, as stated before. I would just make everything worse.

"Fine. You go." I forcefully pulled out a chair from the desk on our side and sat down, pissed. "…But if you fail, I'm going in." Hey, I'm not going down _that_ easily. I still want some form of action against evil.

"Be back in two minutes tops," was all he said as he entered the room.

By this point in time, Chrom and Frederick had left for some meeting. I really don't remember, but it apparently had happened because Robin said so. I guess I was just too focused on this to notice. Speaking of being focused on this, the cultist started speaking again.

"Do you want to hear exactly how you will be eaten?" Grim asked.

Noah instantly retorted. "You wanna hear about how you are going to die?"

"I am not afraid of death!"

"I know you are. Your threats against Rei are dependent on a future where you are on top. If you die here, that will never happen."

"_Stupid geniuses. …I-I totally thought of that!" _I said mentally.

"_**No, you didn't. This mortal is certainly more worthy of my presence."**_

"_B-but Aquarius!"_

"…_**Unfortunately, he does not have a matching element for his sign. And you're going to be in some form of power. And I'll need that."**_

"_What…?"_

"_**You need to make big decisions as my Host. This makes things easier."**_

"I-I don't care!" the Grimleal cultist stammered, pulling me back into reality. It seemed as if he had cracked even more, albeit slightly.

"I will first chop off your legs, then pull out your fractured femurs. I will use those to crucify you. Fun fact: When you are crucified, you are struggling to catch your breath the entire time. I will just let you hang there and watch as you die of suffocation." Since when did he become an expert on crucifixion? I'm sort of scared of what he does in his free time now. Does he crucify people or something? Has he been crucified? ...No, he wouldn't be here then.

"Y-you don't scare me!"

"Really? Then I know you are lying. What is that dark wet spot on the front of your pants?" Noah said. And he was indeed right. The Grimleal cultist had wet himself.

"Eep!"

"If you don't tell everything to Erin, I am coming back with a cross."

As he left the room, I was still contemplating that sentence. He was going to what? H-he's not actually going to crucify him, is he? I mean, that's hardcore. …And terrifying.

Robin nodded his approval and thanks. "That seems to have shaken him up. Mind games should work now."

"You're welcome."

"Ah, yes. Thank, lord and savior…" I sighed and entered the room. Unfortunately, the Grimleal cultist seemed to calm down quite a bit. Great. Hoping to, uh, I dunno, intimidate him, I slammed my hands down on the desk. "Okay, bitch. Tell us everything you know!"

"Why?"

"You see, wouldn't it please your Master Grima to know that you have a good idea of your mission?"

"I know he know that I know what my mission is. You can't fool me."

"Hm…"

"I can see your bloody and broken body tied to my bed right now."

"Well, considering your condition, that isn't very likely. Now…lovely day for an ambush, isn't it?"

"Yes. It is." He reached forward with now-free hands. Gods, how could I have been so stupid? This guy was clearly of the assassin class. Yes, yes, all of you, I sense your facepalms. 'Tis not like those binds were chains.

I jumped back instinctively and yelled, "ROBIN!" And that was all I remembered as I was clubbed on the back of the head with one of the chairs.

By the time I had come to, the room was clear of everyone but Noah. "You all right?" he asked. "He manage to knock you out before I got in here."

"Oww…." Finally realizing the pain, I rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah, I'll live."

"Our job is done here."

"Mmkay. He got away? Or…"

"He told everything."

"All right. What's to come?"

"I want to tell everyone." With that he stepped away, and strapped up against the wall was Grim-Grim. Well, strapped is an understatement. He was crucified just as Noah described.

"Well." No man deserves to die like that. I realize that I shouldn't be hopping on the depressed as fuck, but peace searching train, but it's true. This is what I truly believe. I'm not trying to be noble, I'm trying to be me and do what's right. I know not killing anyone is a moral dilemma that only ends in a loop, but…Heh, I need to stop. Focus on the task at hand, Erin. "At least he died a Jew…Erm…"

"I am a man of my word. C'mon." Noah gestured for me to follow and left the room.

I did, saying, "Right, right…To the tactics room then!"

* * *

The tactics room was a bastardized party room. The walls were lined with bottles of booze, ale and wine—quite possibly why the Grimleal all acted like they were drunk. It made sense that this was the room—tactics meetings were stressful. Being one of the only people who didn't indulge in the drinks, I was the "designated driver" and had to make sure everyone went to bed. Needless to say, I was ready to take a nice bottle of Feroxi firewine, chug it, and hopefully die after I dealt with them last time. Hopefully, I won't have to deal with this again.

So sitting at our miniature Round Table, we commenced the stress inducing meeting.

"Basically, the Grimleal told us what we already know." And you needed to share this because? "Emm is being held by Gangrel, and plans to execute her in public within the month. He did tell me something else interesting though." You just said that he basically told us what we already know…Geez. Next time say, "I learned only one thing," or something. "Three locations of breeding camps to swell the number of livestock for Grima's consumption. It appears Phila and her Pegasus Knights are in one of these."

"Hm…I thought they were—That they'd be locked in the capital. In the dungeons…"

"Not according to our informant."

"We should move out to these camps. Maybe some advantage will come of it, like additional troops or—"

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU DIRTY OLD PERVERT!"

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**AN: First off, I apologize for the shortness of this. I made a mistake when checking the script length, thus it is short and practically a skeleton. I have to admit, this was fun to right, but also really hard for me. So, the 99.9% of the time usual lack of detail. U.U I'm trying. And I've noticed, so no need to point it out ^-^'.**

**Second off, there's now a tumblr page where you can ask the signs questions! If you want the link, check my profile on here!**

**Third off...**

***sigh* To the person who keeps PMing, asking about Ophiuchus and if that their OC can be that sign, I'm sorry to say that it cannot and another OC to the amount I have now will be a hassle. And I'll be addressing the general public when I say this, as people seem to believe their sign has shifted, and need to understand, because of "the addition of Ophiuchus." Ophiuchus is not a Zodiac sign. Your sign does not change, nor is it based on constellations alone. Your Zodiac sign is based on the seasons (aka the sun's position), hence the name SUN Signs, and signify the beginning middle and end of them. Therefore, Ophiuchus is not considered part of the Zodiac, as it would also cause imbalance. To explain further, each signs' characteristics come from the seasons in which they are spotted. For example, my own sign, Aquarius, is the nice, cool beginning of winter and the brisk, calming breezes that turn into solitude and raging blizzards. A fire sign like…let's say Leo, a sign that is visible in the summer, signals the hot, hot end of August and summer where it becomes cold again, thus the destructive-less-destructive flame essence. Capricorn is the dampness of fall and Taurus is the fertility of the soil in spring.**

**Now, tell me how you think Ophiuchus could fit in? It would upset the balance, and completely rewrite the research of the great astrologer Claudius Ptolemy. **

**That is my reasoning, and if you do not like it, I apologize. Ophiuchus is not part of the Zodiac, it just appears in the general area of the other signs' constellations. It was not even mentioned in Ptolemy's research. It is part of the sidereal zodiac, and is only used by 1% of people.**

Chapter 19 BTS:

The Signs Explained:

Previous: Aries (A long ass time before that.)

Age we're in: Pisces (300 B.C – 1900 A.D?)

Coming: Aquarius (Either now, or the winter is coming….O.O)

Some believe we are already in the Age of Aquarius, while other believe we're still in Pisces. I personally like to believe we're in Aquarius, but according to fact, we're in Pisces. A sign moves one degree or so every 71.5 years.

Capricorn: The damp end of fall.

Aquarius: The transition of mild to cold weather. Coldest time of the year.

Pisces: At this point in time, it is time to change and get ready for spring.

Aries: A time of new growth, and energy and enthusiasm to face the future.

Taurus: The calmness and bountifulness of May.

Gemini: New life grows up and begins being independent, much like Gemini.

Cancer: This is a time to be protective, much like Cancers.

Leo: This is the final burst of heat at the end of summer; fiery and bringing in luxury.

Virgo: This is where the last of the crops are harvested, and it is time to work again.

Libra: This is a time to balance and plan for winter. Each move could make the scale of survival tip in your favor, or not.

Scorpio: Plants are ready to face the winter without fear, much like Scorpios.

Sagittarius: The final ray of sunshine that beckons the end of fall and jump into a long winter.

What you think, and what is actually true:

Aquarius

Think: Smart, lonely, heartless, cold, detached, probably an alien, and humorless. (God)

Truth: Scared, flawed, loving, clingy, funny (in our own funky, weird way) (Still God) (^-^' Hey, I've been called such. Not to be sacrilegious or anything)

Capricorn

Think: Cool, collected, and ambitious

Truth: Wants to be loved

Pisces

Think: Cute, cheerful, and happy

True: Powerful, murderous (from personal experience ^-^' Sorry if that offends.)

Aries

Think: Brave, fierce, and will probably end you.

True: Bullied, vulnerable, overcompensates, wants love

Taurus

Think: Loyal as fuck

Truth: Lazy as fuck (I'm sorry….Rei is a Taurus IRL, and *shudders* It's too true)

Gemini

Think: Lonely. Emo. Silent. Emotionless. Super-duper smart and will totally murder you in your sleep.

Truth: Has problems with being abandoned and struggles with their identity.

Cancer

Think: Reliable. Strong. Totally your mother's disciple.

Truth: Emotional train wreck

Leo

Think: Strong, brave, happy, sunny, loyal, and confident.

Truth: Exactly the opposite of everything, minus loyal. There's still loyalty.

Virgo

Think: Shy, smart, organized

Truth: Inner turmoil

Libra

Think: Balanced, friendly, fair, fashionable

Truth: Wishes they can help everyone.

Scorpio

Think: Evil, lonely

Truth: Emo as fuck. Hates everyone. Crazy emotions. (Again; based on personal experiences)

Sagittarius

Think: Wise and majestic

Truth: Makes up all their epicness. (My best friend is a Sag, and he's XD so like this.)


	20. Chapter 20: The Old Dude and the Skimpy

**AN: I dunno why, but I think I did rather well on this one. Feel free to prove me wrong. I've got my fire retardant suit, and I want to hear all criticism. I wrote this in a sorta depressed mood, so if anything seems a bit much…Heh, yeah. Anyway, without any further ado…**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**~ The Old Dude and the Skimpy Ten-Year-Old~**

"GET AWAY FROM ME YOU DIRTY OLD PERVERT!" Nowi yelled. Behind her was Gregor, as expected. We watched from the window as Grimleal appeared, making an attempted to cut them off.

Gregor called after her, "Oi! Gregor is just making with the assistance! Not trying to hurt little girl!" As soon as we all saw them, we hurried out of the fortress and to the dunes below.

"RAPE! RAPE! RAPE! RAPE!"

By the time we got down there, Chrom and Frederick were already there, the former of the two yelling at Gregor. "Get away from that delicate little girl you brute!" Gregor looked over at my lovely dork, appalled.

"Gregor no brute! Gregor is having innocent baby face!" The baby face in question had several wrinkles and now had an eager grin spread across it. The Shepherds nearby all seemed to sweatdrop while he stood proudly. That was until Chrom unsheathed Falchion and leveled it to Gregor's neck. Knowing the outcome, I quickly ran over, placing a hand on his arm and forcing it down. He lowered his sword, but just barely.

I sighed, saying, "He's all right. He's the kind Grimleal mercenary that let me go when you were…" I decided to avoid embarrassment for him, "…incapacitated the other day." I smiled, turning to the mercenary. "Hi, Gregor!"

Gregor nodded his acknowledgement, and then shook his head. "Gregor is no Grimleal mercenary… Not after what Gregor saw what beasts do to little girl… And others in camps." Others? Could he be referring to Noah's theory of concentration and breeding camps? It wouldn't surprising because ninety-nine point nine percent of the time he was unfortunately right. That left no room for anyone else's rationale, except for those who have the brains to compete. I'm going to give you a hint: Not me—as much as I hate to admit it.

"Could you lead us to these camps so we may help these innocents?" I asked.

Gregor looked like he was about to say 'yes,' but then remembered something. "Gregor needs help with eensy problem first."

"You refer to the Grimleal that are chasing you and your friend here?" By friend, I meant Nowi. And I use that term lightly, taking into consideration what exactly she was wearing and just how old Gregor looked compared to her despite their ages being quite the opposite. By Grimleal cultists, I mean our old friends who want to kill our new buddies.

"Pretty lady isn't only looks, Gregor notices!" Gregor let out a hearty laugh that was cut off when Chrom stuck Falchion back onto his jugular.

"Do you want to die?" he growled.

_D-Damn it, Chrom. Don't turn me into Bella, please. _

"You don't need to kill the guy for stating observations..." I said, trying again to divert the sword from our future comrade's neck, and this time I succeeded; he let his arm go limp. "It's just what—never mind. Just don't kill him. He can be trusted; he let me go after all."

"Gregor thanks you, pretty lady," the mercenary chirped, falling into a defensive battle stance in front of Nowi. Said manakete had just taken her dragonstone out and looked like she was about to assume dragon form. Chrom simply remained silent and faced the battlefield, Robin and Frederick coming up behind them while Lissa tailed them with Noah. Miyaji and Dylan had paired up and took to the left of the battlefield, bow and sword drawn respectively. Cordelia, looking very, very unpleased, had paired up with Brandon. Violetta circled the sky near Frederick while Dusty rode flew above Ricken. Rei was in the backseat of Stahl's horse, holding a tome precariously over her head as Stahl drew his silver sword. Those were all the Shepherds I could see from where I stood next to Chrom, Robin and Frederick.

"That's a lot of Grimleal…" I muttered, sizing up our enemy. There were echelons upon echelons of soldiers. We weren't prepared for this. All of our forces were still within the Feroxi border, at their forts, training with their army and clergy. Robin had intended for us to go through the desert undetected, but now that seemed implausible. We had caught their attention, and now they would send their best our way. To kill us. To kill our company. To kill the royal family.

"Yes, but we're a lot of Shepherds. They may outnumber us twenty to one, but we've got this. After all, I am the Master Tactician." Robin was being supportive in his own way; being his smug, bastardy self in an attempt to boost morale. And, I guess it worked, because I felt super confident.

Chrom cracked the first smile I had seen from him in a while; Emmeryn's capture had weighed on him so much, that he had seemingly lost the ability. I can only fear what will happen when she dies. "Of course," he said. "The best godsdamned tactician Ylisse has ever seen. What's your plan?"

"We're going to wing it!"

…

…

…

"The best godsdamned tactician Ylisse has ever seen, my ass." I muttered, glaring at Robin. "You—honestly—don't have a damn plan? What the hell, Robin?" Robin shrunk under my glare, making me feel extremely badass, and appeared to shake in his boots. Wow. Did my glaring powers grow overnight or something? That normally only works on Rei or Lucas. "Well?"

The tactician composed himself, sighing. "I can't really have a plan if THIS IS AN AMBUSH!"

"Well, screw you then."

"Oh, really? Hah, sorry Ms.—"

"Can you two stop bickering?" Chrom interrupted, making us both jump. We faced him sheepishly and raised our arms in jaunty salutes.

"Sorry, love!"

"Sorry, Chrom!"

The prince let out a sigh and accepted it as it was; his tactician and girlfriend were complete dorks. But not as complete of dorks as he was, though he would never admit it unless I dragged it out of him. "Right…" he said, turning to face the battlefield once more. Robin had already ordered the other Shepherds into positions before starting this conversation, and now they were engaged in battle with the Grimleal that had surrounded us. Everyone was fighting, but us in fact. "We should join them, rather than chat, don't you think?"

"Heh, that'd be the right thing to do…" I drew my sword and ran at the nearest Grimleal, striking him hard across the chest. The mage let out a yelp and jumped back, clutching his chest as it oozed red, sticky blood. He raised his tome, charging a spell. Spells like those hit hard, and hurt. And with my poor resistance (as I've come to discover) that would most certainly injure me very, very badly. With no other options, I ran forward before the magic could finish charging and raised my sword for the kill. I brought it down ever so slightly…

And stopped. I couldn't do this.

The mage smirked, grateful for how bad I had choked. His spell was just about done charging—and in that moment I knew that I'd die. I'd never been this sure about something in my life. The close range and strength of the spell would rip through wherever it was heading—my chest, according to where his hands were. Death. It would come. Most definitely. But it would be quick. …Is that what I want?

I don't know what I want anymore.

I let my sword fall to my side and closed my eyes to accept it—I knew I wouldn't make it out of there in time, no matter what tricks Aquarius pulled—but it never came. A yell sounded from behind me and soon the mage was on the sandy earth; Falchion was sticking out of his thorax as blood pooled around the body. He was dead. Dead as a doornail. Stifling a gag, I looked away. I'm not going to say blood bothers me, because it doesn't, but when it's this close and this graphic...

"Erin!" Chrom had pulled Falchion from the man's body, sheathed it and now had his hands firmly placed on my shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" That is the question, isn't it? What is wrong with me? I've been around war for almost two years, yet now I can't kill a man. In truth, I never had. I had always relied on someone else to deal the final blow. And if I did kill someone it was by accident. "You could have died there! Don't you ever…" At this point I had stopped listening, going off into my own little world like I always had when I was yelled at, scolded or mocked. I knew the whole premise of the talk I was getting. It was a cliché thing that had happened in various movies and stories. Don't be reckless, don't throw yourself into danger, be careful, be strong, and kill people. KILL people. That's the problem.

I am simply unfit for war.

With this anxiety.

I'm inadequate.

I'm lost.

I'm a terrified little girl in world of war, death, and love.

And death was predominant.

"Erin."

Chrom had stopped yelling his head off at this point, taking a calm approach.

"…Chrom. I'm scared." I swallowed hard, trying to grab hold of my words and emotions before they left me. But apparently, my mouth and mind did not agree as per usual. "Of everything. This war. And death. I…I don't want to lose anyone. I don't want to kill. I don't—" He brought me into a hug, and it was in that moment that I realized that I had been crying. Crying like a wimp; like someone unworthy; like someone who should be replaced with someone stronger. As I clutched the fabric of his shirt in balled fists, letting all the fear and shame force its way out, the battle raged on around us, but far enough away that we would not be maimed.

After what felt like hours, Chrom spoke again, trying to bring comfort in the best way he could. "It's going to be all right. We'll all be fine. I promise you." There he was, always with the needed response. With only those simple words, I felt infinitely better. "You do not have to kill; just don't put yourself in danger like that again." And much like he had the perfect words, he also has the unfortunate ability to unintentionally say the wrong thing.

"How can I survive, if I cannot kill? How can I hope to be of any use, if I cannot get rid of enemies?" I pulled back, and glared up at him stubbornly. I probably looked like a wretch; eyes all puffy, hair frazzled and matted with sweat, clothes torn. I must have, or I would not have felt so shitty.

"You don't need to, because I'll keep you safe."

He'll keep me safe.

Safety is not something that is guaranteed…

But this makes me believe it is.

And yet…

"I don't want your focus to be on keeping some useless—Mmph!" This time it was not a hug that stopped my sentence, but a chaste "Shut the fuck up" kiss. Did he seriously just…? The dork smirked triumphantly and silently went off to kill more shit. I stood in the same spot for maybe ten more seconds, my face gradually heating up as I realized what had just happened. "Hey! DON'T JUST DO THAT AND RUN AWAY FROM ME, YOU PRICK!" I raised my sword with new strength, except it wasn't a will to fight, but to slap that cocky smirk off his stupid face.

* * *

"They were here…" Gregor said.

The Grimleal were a joke; we finished them off in under twenty minutes and had gone off to find the camps that Gregor had mentioned. Their so called echelons upon echelons were mostly made of poor farmers (Plegia has farms, apparently), slaves and artisans in the lower class. This could have meant either of two things: They have sucky soldiers in general, or their strongest force is at the castle awaiting our arrival. I wish the former were true and knew that the latter was. Plegia is no joke, and Gangrel shouldn't be abusing his power like this is one.

I glanced at the rundown camp. It wasn't an ordinary camp that had several rows depicting status, title and rank; there were stalls rather than tents and the outskirts were guarded by a crumbling cobblestone wall. The only entrance had been a gate, and that was long gone, only the lever remaining on the wall. According to Noah, who had scouted the area and come back pasty white, the stalls that we would have presumed to be filled with horses or equipment, were filled to capacity with women. The max amount of persons for it to be still considered safe was about fifty. There were three hundred in there.

"About a quarter of them are pregnant," Noah said, having recovered some color, "and another quarter are unable to travel due to wounds."

Wounds. These women must have fought real hard to acquire those injuries. No one tortures a willing woman.

Wasn't there some sort of magistery on the border? Perhaps they would help us if we asked? I looked over to Robin, voicing my thoughts. The tactician shook his head and said, "That is a dark magistery, and they probably have many graduates that go straight to the Grimleal."

_Mages…? Gods, Erin, you doofus. That's the wrong word._

"_**It wouldn't surprise me."**_ Aquarius spoke up for the first time that day, which was surprising, considering how much of a chatterbox she could be. _**"I believe the word you are looking for is monastery."**_

"_I know, Aquarius…Gawds…" _I said mentally, not even caring that I had pulled a Severa.

"Uh…." I ran a hand through my hair sheepishly. "That was the wrong word…I, uh, mean monastery. Do you think the Ylissean monks would help?" Chrom shook his head at that, going on to say that the Plegians had gotten rid of them. How he knew this, I did not know, but it made sense considering how hellish things have become. Perhaps I should see a priest for my diagnosis…

"Of course nothing is easy…" I muttered, glancing to Robin to see if he actually _had_ a plan this time.

Robin did indeed have one, but it was one that would be cutting it a bit close. The whole premise of the plan was timing. That was really all that had mattered. After we retrieved the exalt, both Feroxi forces would attack Plegia Castle from the east and west sides, masking our escape. If we went with this new plan, which was as follows:

"…Maybe we can have the Feroxi armies rescue them and take them to Ferox for medical treatment?" Robin said, pausing as he thought of the plans validity. "Yes! That works! Then we'll have them loop around to the Midmire, move our escape route to that place and then we'll be homebound!"

That does sound reasonable, but it's also not. We need those extra forces. If they are not back in time, we will not survive this next battle. Those men Gangrel had sent our way were most certainly a subterfuge. "What if they don't make it back in time, Robin? Don't we need Feroxi forces to face Gangrel? Isn't our army not enough?" I asked the tactician.

"Actually, if the Feroxi were involved, it'd be overkill. If it were just the Shepherds and Ylissean army, we could take them easily." Robin seemed to be missing the point of what I was saying.

"No, Robin. I mean, don't you think that platoon of Grimleal was a machination?"

"Of course it was, but that also wasn't part of Gangrel's force," Chrom replied for Robin, explaining the situation in layman's terms. "The Grimleal are a cult; they may be Plegian, but they don't answer to the Mad King. True, they share the same cause: acquire the Fire Emblem." So wouldn't they want to work together? I'm sorry, but I don't understand. "That's where the similarities end. The Grimleal strive to bring Grima back to life. Gangrel wants every Ylissean dead, so he can take over. The Grimleal cause counteracts his own."

Robin nodded in affirmation. "That's basically it, though I admit, I wasn't expecting you to put all of that together so quickly and easily."

Chrom raised a brow. "How do you think that?"

"Well….Uh…" Robin became extremely awkward, sheepish even. "You're not considered the sharpest weapon in the convoy, if you get what I'm saying."

"So everyone thinks I'm an idiot?"

"N-no, it's just, uh, associated with being too, uh, nice and…trusting." Real smooth, Robin. Chrom sighed through his nose at this. "W-wait, I mean, it's…okay to b—"

The prince cut him off. "It's all right, Robin. I get it. Let's just continue on."

Robin cleared his throat, trying to cover up all his fuckups in the past five minutes. "Right…What if Basilio's group went to find the pegasus knights, and that will add to our forces. Then Flavia's can handle the camps."

"And what of the clergy?" I asked, making sure I had my facts right. "Where are they? They'll be key in your little plan, Robin."

"The Ylissean Clergy is in Ferox, with their forces," Chrom said.

"That will work," Robin murmured. "If we have our clergy stay here, and Ferox's go with the troops heading to the camps, everything should be evenly distributed. That is sorted, but the real question is: Where are the pegasus knights? They're clearly not in this camp."

Gregor, who had been silently listening, immediately jumped in as our questioning stares were turned on him. "Knights in separate complex. There are three of them. Gregor heard that the ladies were separated from the exalt so they don't make with the rescuing."

"And how strong are they?" Robin inquired.

"Gregor thinks fifty, one hundred strong."

"That would be one hundred fifty, to three hundred in total. The Feroxi forces have it easy." I said, referring to the epicness that was Regna Ferox. "Still. The knights are now crucial to this plan's success. If we were to go with this new plan, they'd arrive after the exalt—" dies. Thankfully, I caught myself in time. "…They'd arrive after we save Emmeryn."

"We could ask Basilio's group to find them. Flavia's can handle these camps," Robin suggested.

My dork shook his head. "But they have to take these ladies north."

"Then who will storm the base?"

I thought on that a moment, combing my brain for shit I read in books that worked. Or just overall gaming knowledge…Like in Pokemon Conquest, there were delegates. I told them that. "Perhaps you could send a delegate with a small group of soldiers and a healer to free the pegasus knights? A recon team maybe? To avoid encounters, they'd need to be trained in stealth."

Robin pondered what I had said. "Yes, that's sound. But who's to delegate and lead this stealth operation?"

"I could…" We all turned to face Noah. In all honesty, during our epic heated battle debate, I had forgotten his existence entirely. Does that make me a bad person? Probably. Do I care about that fact? Yes. Yes I do. "I've handled missions like this before, so if I had a small group of soldiers, I should be able to infiltrate the camp undetected and break out the knights."

"Sounds like a plan," Robin agreed pulling out a map and going over it with Gregor and Noah. The former was pointing out the camps that he had seen while the latter studied it, learning the path he would take and where said camps were. Frederick had sent the others to set up camp while we planned. It was in this time that Chrom had also decided that Lon'qu (who showed up in the middle of the night with a flock of moths), Dylan and Kellam would accompany Noah along with Lissa. That was a real surprise, but she was the only healer who wanted to get her hands dirty without a price (i.e. not Maribelle or Anna).

"That's not a very good idea, sending Lissa," I said after a while. "She might need some weapon."

"Yeah." Chrom agreed. "Perhaps a sword for her? Or a lance?"

"Eh, I think she's better off with a tome. She's a healer, and healers need to have an affinity with magic."

"All right, I'll tell Robin about that later."

…

…

…

"WHAT WAS THAT SHIT YOU PULLED ON THE BATTLEFIELD?!" It was at this moment that I remembered that I had been mad at him for something, and decided to yell it.

The triumphant smirk returned to his face as he looked down at me. "You wouldn't shut up about stupid things, so I did it for you."

"In the MIDDLE of the battlefield."

"To be fair, you were the one who broke down." I was the one to break down. And that could've gotten us both killed.

"…Right. And you were the one to save me. As usual." It was true, that statement. You didn't need to be a genius to know that was blatant fact.

"I'll always be there to save you. Always," that was all he said before he pulled me through the camp.

And I didn't care where we were going, I just knew I'd blindly follow him. Always. No matter what it would cost me. Because I believed in him. And loved him.

* * *

**AN: And a-done! Phew. That took a while…Well, not really. Two days, if I hadn't skipped four. ^-^ Well, anyway. There it was ^~**

**If you would like to ask me questions, feel free to PM me, or Ask me on Tumblr. I figured I'd make one for this because it's certainly more efficient in my opinion. If you want to check it out, it's on my profile.**

BTS:

Noah's recommendations to sign holders:

Rei: CALM THE FUCK DOWN!

Brandon: Okay. I get it. You like Cordelia. Why is that your only personality trait that I ever see?

Lucas: ...You hurt Olivia, you lose more than your life.

Miyaji: Buy a new personality. Try Walmart. They sell everything there.

Violetta: I am sorry... Who?

Dylan: Are you the one who has been stalking Kellam? STOP!

Dusty: *See Rei*

Erin: You are okay. My only request is that you stop kissing Chrom in public. It makes me wanna throw rocks at you.

The love pentagram:

Frederick loves Lissa who loves Noah who loves Olivia who loves Lucas who loves Chrom who loves Erin who loves Rei who loves Dusty who loves pie who loves Stahl who loves food in general who loves Sully who loves Kellam who has a Harem who loves Libra who loves Cabbage who loves Libra.

Chrom and his various Love interests.

Chrom X Sumia:

Chrom: MORE PIE!

Sumia: Chrom, do you think you gained a little weight?

*Chrom the Hutt.*

Chrom: No...

Chrom x Sully

Sully: Chrom?

Chrom: Yes?

Sully: I have something to tell you.

Chrom: Yeah?

Sully: I am actually a Lesbian.

Chrom x Olivia

Chrom: Hey I just met you.

And this is crazy,

But you're a Dancer,

So have my babies.

Olivia: RAPE RAPE RAPE!

Chrom x Robin

Chrom: So we saw each other naked.

Robin: Yup.

Chrom: You wanna get married?

Robin: NO YOU PERVERT!

Chrom X Maribelle

Maribelle: You know how you got drunk and had sex with me last month?

Chrom: Worst mistake of my life. I had no intention of getting with you.

Maribelle: I'm pregnant.

Chrom: Bitch say what?

Cordelia X Chrom

Cordelia: Hi Chrom.

Chrom: Hello Cor- Can you please just stay awake for two seconds after I talk to you?


	21. Chapter 21: Teatime

**This may be a bit late, and if it is, I apologize. I got some weird combination of a cold and fever, and to top it off, I had to prepare a flute solo for NYSSMA. Lovely. …This may be a day or two late because of that, and by extension, the chapter after it. Though, there are still many hours left in this day, so I might actually get it up on time. Who knows? Time will tell.**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**~ Teatime~**

By the time the group we had sent out to find the pegasus knights—Noah, Lon'qu, Lissa and Kellam—returned with the knights, we had had our camp set up right outside of Plegia Castle, in a neighboring valley. Days had been slow, but we hadn't expected them to return so soon, and had planned to go on with our "rescue" two days from now, whether they were back or not. Luckily they did, and would be there as the plan took effect.

The camp had been set up in the usual fashion and layout. The bonfire was in the exact center, tended to by our pyromaniac knight, Frederick. Surrounding the bonfire and fanning out in a "U" shape were rows upon rows of canvas tents. It was always rather annoying to set up the tents because Robin always insisted that they be in the same EXACT order each and every time. While it was convenient for Robin, it was inconvenient for everyone else, and Vaike was currently arguing with the tactician because his tent was in a very unfortunate spot. By unfortunate, I mean fortunate for us, because it was on the exact opposite end of the camp as the women's bathing tent. So, Vaike was pissed, because he couldn't be a peeping bastard.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand, the group had returned and they were now talking with Robin while I sat on a nearby log, abandoning the book I had been reading and choosing to listen. It was sort of the only thing I was good at when it came to military procedures and tactics.

"Where are the rest of the pegasus knights?" Robin asked gesturing towards the seven pegasus knights that had returned with them. There had been twenty accompanying the exalt along with their pegasi. "And their horses?"

"Already killed," Noah said, casting an air of sorrow over the group. "Apparently, pegasi are a delicacy in Plegia."

Robin pursed his lips, sighing through his nose and crossing his arms. "That compromises the plan."

Well, today it seemed like Deus wasn't getting coffee for Aquarius, but actually doing something productive. I say this because Sumia walked up to us ("I found ten pegasi wandering randomly through the desert!") with, low and behold, ten pegasi. Seven for the pegasus knights, and three for other units. For who? Possibly for Lissa, Maribelle, and a new one for Sumia as her old one had died when we were at Breakneck Pass a few months ago.

"Sumia! You goddess! Plan saved!" Robin thanked the pegasus knight.

Sumia laughed at this. "That's high praise, Robin. I simply just stumbled across them…Quite literally. I tripped and rolled down a dune, landing right on top of them." That explains why she's got sand in her hair and gritty armor.

Any further conversation between the two was interrupted by Maribelle running up to Lissa and crushing her in a hug. Lissa squirmed in her grip, poking her head up over her best friend's shoulder in an attempt to get some air.

"Lissa! Thank goodness you are all right!" Maribelle looked on the verge of tears, which was rather odd, because there really had been nothing to worry about.

"Of—" Lissa was cut off as Maribelle hugged her tighter.

"Don't ever go off on a mission like that again!" she said. "When I found out, your brother got quite the talking to!" Chrom had. Maribelle can be a very scary lady. "And then I talked to that useless tactician of ours…" Maribelle trailed off, letting Lissa go, noticing Robin standing nearby. "O-oh…Robin…" Her face became a very dark shade of red.

Robin rubbed his neck sheepishly, a bit red himself and was probably recalling the tongue lashing he had gotten. "How's your day going, Maribelle?"

"Fine…" Maribelle turned away and mumbled, "I will see you later for your lesson, Robin." She then spoke to Lissa. "Would you like to talk about your endeavor over some tea?"

Lissa nodded furiously and then pointed at me. "Erin has to come with!"

_What. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No._

"Lissa, I really don't enjoy—" My futile attempts were wasted as she took my arm in an iron grip and began to drag me through the camp while Maribelle followed indifferently.

"I want you to hear every detail of my epic adventure!" Lissa said joyfully.

"I don't want to hear every detail of your epic adventure," I muttered.

"Stop being such a buzz kill!"

"I seriously have better things—"

"No, you don't," she interrupted, protesting.

I sighed, stubbornly saying, "Yes, I do."

"No," Lissa argued.

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"N—" She was cut off by everyone's favorite noble.

"Lissa, Erin, darlings, won't you please stop?!" Maribelle snapped.

"Yes, Maribelle…"

"Sorry, Maribelle…"

I wasn't doing this to be difficult, I legit hated anything to do with tea parties. I just wasn't that kind of girl. Sure I used to play with dolls and stuff—when I was five. From that point on it had been videogames. I just never was interested in these girly things. Not saying they are completely reserved for females, guys can partake in them too.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached my own personal hell. Maribelle already had a table set up in her tent with a tea set on it. She even had little stools, three in total set up. She later said that she had three because Robin joined her and Lissa for tea on occasion, so any specialness I had felt for myself in that moment was vanquished.

Maribelle left Lissa and me alone for a bit as she went to boil water for the tea so, naturally, conversation ensued.

"How long do you think until they 'become public' with their relationship?" Lissa asked.

"Who?" There were many relationships that needed to become public.

"Maribelle and Robin, of course!"

"Oh, that relationship…." It had been no secret that the tactician and noble were more than friends. Well, to all but them. For some odd reason, they wouldn't acknowledge it. I guess they're both too dense to realize what's sitting right in front of them. "It'd better be soon. We need some form of morale inducing party."

"You don't seem like the type of person to enjoy parties."

"I don't."

"Then—never mind."

We branched off into an awkward silence after that, and stayed that way until Maribelle returned with the kettle of tea. "Tea's up, darlings," she said, pouring individual cups. Once she was done, I made a grab for the sugar. Maribelle stopped my hand with a glare. "A lady drinks tea in its most refined form. There's no need to soil its purity with sugar."

"But Maribelle—" I started, but she cut me off.

"Don't 'but Maribelle' me! I am trying to teach you how to be a proper lady."

I pouted and silently sipped the piping hot tea as Lissa launched into her epic tale. They had easily entered the base, and ninja'd past all the guards. That had been the easy part. Sneaking them out had been a lot more complicated. This is where her affinity with staves came in handy. She utilized a sleep staff, knocking all the guards out while they quickly escaped. It wouldn't be long until the knights' disappearance was discovered, but they had gotten out and our plan could be fulfilled.

It was a good story, until she started explaining how Noah dealt with the guards they hadn't been able to knock out:

"And then Noah killed three people in one swing!"

You may be asking why I am putting so much attention and aggravation on this statement. She had repeated it and recounted his "heroics" many, many times in the past hour. Honestly, there were so many fucks I didn't give. He killed a few baddies. Woo-di-fucking-doo. Anyone can kill a person. What's so special about it?

"_**You can't kill a person," **_Aquarius's voice popped into my head.

"_Thank you for the specification, Aquarius. It was much needed. Really. Thanks."_

"_**I only state facts."**_

While this had been going on, Maribelle sighed, giving Lissa a sidelong glance. "You told us fifteen times, darling."

I nodded. "Someone has a crush." It was about time too. Noah needed someone to care for him; he always seemed so depressed, to be honest. When he wasn't shamelessly fluffing his ego… "Tell us about it."

"I-I don't have a crush on Noah!" Lissa yelled, making us think quite the opposite. "I just never realized how cool he was before…" And so that is the story of how Lissa became an obsessive fangirl. In order to avoid any more questioning, she pulled the rug out from under Maribelle. "…Besides! Why not talk about how Maribelle has an obvious crush on Robby?"

Maribelle immediately reddened as the interrogating was turned to her. "Th-that's n-not true!"

Raising a brow, I smirked at the noble. "Then explain why your face has the complexion of a tomato."

Maribelle sat silently for a few moments. She looked to be pondering what to do or say next. Just as I thought she was about to spill her guts about Robin, she put me under the limelight. "…How is your relationship with Chrom going?"

It was my turn to blush. It was a thing that was happening, so maybe I should feed them. No, that's too embarrassing and I'd certainly regret it later. Nevertheless, I kept my composure, narrowing my eyes at Maribelle.

"Stop trying to change the subject."

Lissa jumped to my rescue—at least that's what I thought until she actually spoke. "I wanna know too! It is a little sister's duty to know with what to tease her older brother with!"

"Tempting…" I murmured. My inner sadist sort of wanted to see how this turned out.

"Have you had sex yet?" the seemingly innocent princess of Ylisse asked.

Maribelle immediately started chiding her. "Lissa! How vulgar!" But the noble was just as curious as she cleared her throat to speak. "How intimate have you gotten with Chrom?"

"Well…Um…" I laughed awkwardly in an attempt to avoid it. "Erm, so how are those lessons going?"

Lissa gave a long drawn out sigh. "We can't all dodge the subject! ….I am assuming a yes."

I shrugged it off. "If that's what you think, then mmmkay."

"You're no fun!" Lissa shouted indignantly.

"I'm not one for giving details." I turned to Maribelle once more and pressed her further. "Now, answer the question, Maribelle."

Maribelle flinched, freezing up again. "What happened to your crush on Lon'qu, Lissa?"

Lissa glared at her best friend and huffed in annoyance. "Just throw me under the carriage, why don't you?"

This piqued my curiosity. We hadn't seen much of Lon'qu for a while. Apparently, he had been chasing butterflies or something. I dunno. It's just what I've heard. "Yeah, what did happen?" I asked the princess. "I heard he got pretty hurt, so he couldn't watch you anymore."

"He let some memories catch up with him." As Lissa explained this, she frowned slightly and knit her eyebrows together. "He has just been away for so long that it doesn't seem normal to like him..." Lissa paused, reflecting on herself for a moment. "What was wrong with me?"

"It's normal, Lissa," I assured her.

"And now you won't be quiet about Noah," Maribelle added.

Lissa jumped at the chance to worship him. "He is cool!"

Everyone but Maribelle and me seemed to think so lately. According to a select few, he was a god sent from above whose sole purpose is to be badass and make all who defy him tremble in his wake after a really long circle argument. Heil, Noah.

"You're acting like and obsessive fangirl about it though." It was so annoying. And it needed to stop. "You should try keeping that in, it makes talking to you a tad easier."

"But then you won't know why he is cool! Did I tell y—" Lissa was cut off by Maribelle.

"Yes."

"Twenty-seven times," I remarked.

"How about—" Lissa started, but was again cut off by the noble.

"That too." Maribelle smirked at Lissa. "You totally have a crush on him."

"Do not!" she protested.

I raised a lone finger. "You're in denial!"

Lissa sighed just as loudly as she had before. "There is no Nile on this planet!"

How Lissa knew this, I did not know. I had a lingering suspicion that either Rei or Dusty had something to do with it, as they always seem to do when there is a fourth wall break.

Maribelle sipped her tea, giving herself a moment to think before she spoke next. "I have to admit, darling. He's rather charming. For a lowborn fool, anyway." Even Maribelle seemed to worship the idea that was Noah. Sigh. Honestly, I don't get it. Sure, he's an okay person, but I can't really relate to him.

"_**Well, he IS a Leo, and you're an Aquarius." **_Aquarius explained, raising another question.

"_Don't we need a Leo? Isn't that problem solved? No need to search for one?" _I asked the deity. Leo was supposedly missing, so what if he had been here the entire time? This could solve many, many problems. Like the fact that we are imbalanced without him. Well, we don't have everyone yet, but still.

"_**No, I'm afraid not. He…harbors an inner darkness that is unbecoming…" **_Aquarius trailed off, leading me to believe that she really had no particular reason. What she said next surprised me. _**"Leo…Does not exist anymore. He died off long ago during the Second Interstellar war." **_

Aquarius seemed somber when she spoke of this, so I decided to not press it further. I didn't know exactly who this Leo was, but if he were someone important to her, I won't bother her. She does not wish to speak of her pain; she must keep it to herself. I guess that's where the similarities begin between us.

"U-um…I-I…don't like him." Lissa's attempts to cover up her affections were poor. Pitifully so.

I gave Lissa a sidelong glance, playfully scolding her. "You should really stop lying. That's not a good quality for a princess."

Maribelle snickered while Lissa struggled to find a comeback, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "M-Maribelle is giving Robin lord lessons only so that he will be presentable if she presents him as her husband!" The noble stiffened and choked on her tea as the attention was drawn back to her.

"WHAT?"

I observed her for a moment before giving my two cents. "That is a nice tactic, Maribelle. It's fitting for the Master Tactician's future wife."

Maribelle blushed, covering the lower half of her face with her hand to conceal it. "H-he hasn't asked me to marry him! He isn't even showing interest in me in that way!" she stuttered.

I shook my head dismissively. "A Robin is a tricky creature, you see. To understand a Robin, you need to think like a Robin. He has a hard time with all these emotions, so he tends to come to a few of us for advice."

"So you're saying that he's asexual?"

"No, Maribelle, I'm saying that he probably has a ginormous crush on you. Why else do you think he puts up with your annoying lessons?" She glared at me, so I quickly added, "No offense."

"Because he wants to improve himself," Maribelle deadpanned.

"Robin, the one who insists on treating everyone equally, wants to make himself more presentable in front of nobles?"

"…Yes"

Gods, Maribelle. Stop denying it like Lissa. It's true, so why can't she accept it? Her stubbornness is getting annoying. A silence followed—a very lovely silence that lasted until Lissa pressed for more blackmail.

"All right, now spill! How good is my brother at sex?"

I glared at the princess. "Lissa, I won't answer your stupid question. This is private, and I don't tell." There really was nothing to tell. And it's incredibly rude of her to ask. I wish she'd just stop.

"Please! Tell me so I can tease him!" Lissa pouted and widened her eyes, trying to use my puppy dog eye weakness. It didn't work because 1) I am not that weak and 2) I am too awesome to be felled by her amateur puppy dog eyes.

"He has other things to focus on, Lissa. He doesn't need you incessantly teasing him."

"But it is my job!"

"Take a break from your job. It'd do you good." I paused, thinking over what I had said and the situation. "And you really don't need facts to tease him..."

"Yes, I do!" she insisted. "My teasing is very precise!"

"All to more reason to not subject him to it." Having enough with all this shit and conversation, I pulled a book from my convenient and totally not Deus Ex Machina bag, and began to read quietly. This went on for about five seconds before Maribelle snatched it up and chided me.

"No reading at the table."

She took my book.

Hah. Hah. Hah…..

She took my fucking book.

I did it all the time at home and didn't get yelled at, so I didn't get where she was coming from. Pissed as fuck, I simply glared daggers at her, accentuating the words, "Mari, do you want to die?"

"We must make you a proper princess if you are going to represent this halidom." If Emm lives. That is only correct if Emm lives, Maribelle. And if Chrom accepts the title of exalt—and that's only if this relationship works out. For the entirety of the Valm arc, he was referred to as a prince, so hold your damn rants on the validity of it, please.

"Hah!" I clutched my chest and laughed at that. Rei once joked that she'd end up as the president for the 2040 election, and that I'd run just to prevent the worst—you know, like the world BLOWING UP. Who knew that that joke would allude/foreshadow something like this? Except one problem—I don't like formal shit. I like to rebel against authority, not be the authority. Unless said authority is on equal grounds with everyone. "You honestly think I'd do any of that?"

Lissa deadpanned. "You have to."

I sighed. This was what I had gotten myself into. "Fine, but nothing crazy—"

Maribelle immediately began her mini lecture. "We will start with no books at the table." She took the poor book and chucked it across the room. "Instead," she continued, "answer all questions truthfully."

That does not sound promising. And Lissa piping up proves it.

"How many times a week do you go at it?"

I pursed my lips to hold back a sigh, possible profanity, and a facepalm. "That is not a question a lady should answer.

Maribelle was "duly" surprised by this, offering a form of praise. "Good." Though it was only one word, I still felt a bit special. And then I realized she was just being typical stuck-up Maribelle.

"I was raised with manners, Maribelle," I said. "You don't need to look so surprised."

Lissa latched onto my arm pleadingly, asking once more for teasing material. "C'mon! Give me something to blackmail him with!"

"Sorry, Princess, that isn't something a lady would do. We don't dawdle in gossip and teasing." I knew it was false, but still.

"Yes, we do!" Lissa protested.

Maribelle interjected, shaking her head. "Depends on the subject. No, this is not one of them."

"Dang."

I decided to keep what I had going, well, going. "Perhaps you'd like to talk about tea and—" I coughed, unable to continue speaking like this. "I can't do this." I sighed, waiting to be bombarded with more questions. Thankfully, the next one that was asked by Maribelle wasn't all that personal.

"I actually wanted to ask you about how to... Make a man less oblivious..." she asked awkwardly.

Um….I don't know? It just happened, really.

"I'm afraid you came to the wrong person," I said sheepishly before trailing off. "Being pretty oblivious myself…"

Maribelle reworded the question. "…How did you get Chrom to notice you?"

"I didn't try, Maribelle. I just did what I do best—be myself. No facades, no fancy displays." That was true for some things anyway—this included.

She placed her head in her hands and yelled, "I'm going to be an old maid forever!"

I patted her shoulder reassuringly, coming up with some way to help. "I'm sure I can do something about that. I'll give Robin a little push, if you want; make him aware."

Lissa nodded in agreement. "Sure!" And what she said next was shocking. "Give Noah and Olivia little pushes towards each other too. I ship it." Was she trying to cover up the fact that she has a crush on her, or is the obliviousness hereditary?

"I mean for…." I sighed, cutting off the train of thought. "Never mind, Lissa. I'm not sure you'd want that considering how you constantly gush…."

"I. Ship. It."

Gods help me.

Maribelle gave me sympathetic look. "I have learned no to question it."

"Duly noted."

At that moment, Robin walked into the tent for his lesson.

"I am here for my le—" He stopped when he realized Lissa's and my presence. "Oh... Am I interrupting something?" Normally, I would say yes and shoo him away, but by the way he had his hand in his tactician coat's pocket, I could tell he to do something _very_ important.

I walked up to my best friend by extension, and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Heh, not all, Robin." After saying that I whispered, "Good luck~," before raising my voice again, "Come on, Lissa! Let's go bother people!" Without giving her a chance to respond, I grabbed her arm and ran out of the tent.

"But I didn't finish my tea!" she yelled as we fled.

* * *

-Aquarius-

Aquarius sighed, mulling over what had been talked about today, and the questions that had been raised. _Don't we need a Leo? Isn't that problem solved? No need to search for one?_ They DID need a Leo, but that was impossible. He's here, but he's not. Aquarius knew he could not take on a physical form. _He's just a patch of stars now; a memory to cherish, and eventually forget_. She wished she could just leave it at that. She wished she could forget, and move on, but she couldn't. He had been her balance; her complete opposite. He was born of the sun, the center of the galaxy, and she came from its outermost reaches, Uranus. At one point it had been thought to be Saturn, but of course fate wanted to make her more of an outcast than she already was. As well as the butt of many, many jokes.

If Leo were a hierarchy, she was an anarchy. He was the strong flame that helped the menorah burn for eight days straight while she was the wind that was trying so desperately to put it out, to bring some form of change, or equality. Anarchy may be chaos, but it had a type of equality. Hierarchy may have been efficient and stable, but it was not fair. Kings were overthrown for a reason. Crusaders fought for a reason. Change had a reason. Therein lied the balance. The rebellious wind and the stable hearth. The hearth ate away at the wind, while the wind kept the flames in check.

But that wind drives away what it loves. It can't be helped, for that is its true characteristic; to push away, and never be confined. When your planet is in exile, it is hard to fit in. Aquarius knew this the best out of anyone. It's what being opposite of the sun entailed. She had a hard time expressing herself. Aquarius always felt suppressed, held back by some invisible wall, unable to move forwards. The sun, in truth did bring forth some form of influence as a detriment. It was her tyrant. It forced her to be a ruler she did not want to be. She wanted to treat everyone like equals, but Sun wasn't that kind. Sun dictated her path. While Leo was warm, Sun was overwhelming and tyrannical.

But that was her path at the beginning of her journey. It was now up to her to change it.

* * *

**Phew. Finally. Done. That took a while. It's short because there wasn't much Erin-Rambling in it. Eh, there's random Zodiac shit. I don't really have any BTS for you today, I don't think. ._. I sowwy. And I apologize for the two-day-lateness. Uh, feel free to request a little bit like that for your sign, or any sign. I don't really care which. Whatever.**

**Um. Um. Um. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Yep. That's it. Bye-bye. **


	22. Chapter 22: The Fall of a Queen

**It's a week late... DON'T KILL ME. **

**...**

**Um. Well, here you go.**

* * *

**Chapter 22**

**~The Fall of a Queen~**

We all stood on a dune overlooking Plegia Castle, readying our horses, weapons and whatnot. The East Feroxi soldiers had arrived earlier than predicted while the West Feroxi soldiers were nowhere to be seen, so I could only assume that they were held up by the inevitable. The wind blew through our ranks kicking up dust and creating a gritty cloud that would cover our entrance. This miniature sandstorm hadn't been natural though and had been magicked up by the Ylissean Mage Corps. The reconnaissance operatives had just returned and confirmed the troop dispositions – and they were just where we thought. There was a legion of wyvern riders posted about a mile and half away from the castle; presumably to catch us before we reached the castle, and swiftly report back if need be.

"This is it!" Chrom said in a way that instilled courage in us all. "We are going to save Emmeryn."

Save Emmeryn.

We would try, yes.

But we never would succeed.

That is the reality of this.

They didn't know that, so I simply put on a smile. Well, more like a smirk. My smile scares people. It is a sign that the world's ending. "Just over those dunes is the castle," I remarked, holding up our map. The edges were furled and it had plenty of water stains bordering the small pictures that represented cities and landforms. Two X's – one to the top right and another in the middle – written in red ink showed our troop dispositions. Looking as such, it has earned the name "Epic Pirate Treasure Map". I brought my finger to the upper X, and said, "And if Robin's plan is correct, two more of our forces should be here—" I tapped the other X. "—and here."

Chrom nodded solemnly, casting his gaze over the dunes once more. He looked so strong and brave as he did so – it absolutely hurt me that that would change in only a few hours. From the way he gripped Falchions hilt, though, I could tell that he was feeling anything but courage. And if I were to look closely, I would be able to see an inkling of fear under the resolution in the steely blue orbs that were his eyes.

"Yeah," he murmured. "Let's just hope that they get here on—" The blunette cut himself off, something catching his eye among the dunes. "Why are there random cabbage heads strewn about?"

I raised a brow and looked to where he now pointed. It was not a trick of the light; there were actual cabbage heads covered in grit, or partially submerged in the sand. Why the hell were there cabbage heads in the middle of the fucking dessert?

You know what?

I don't care at this point.

Ignore it.

Don't question it.

"Maybe that lady over there knows?" Chrom, no, don't go over to the random lady. You don't even—facepalm. The lady in question was a few feet to the left of the cabbage heads, dressed in a white garb while an axe hung at her side, secured by a belt. Blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering under the hot Plegian sun as it beat down. The prince approached her and said, "Excuse me, lady?" To prevent the worst, I followed.

The lady turned and gave a long-suffering sigh. "I am a man." Ah, that makes sense now. I was wondering why a lady would be in the desert. "And my name is Libra Hideyoshi, not 'lady,'" Libra said.

Chrom cocked his head in confusion, disbelief showing itself in his features. "I don't believe you, miss."

Libra narrowed his eyes, reaching for his belt buckle. "I can prove it…"

"Please don't, _sir_." I interrupted what could have been a very unfortunate situation. "Your word is enough to go—" I would have continued, but it seemed as if the priest were occupied elsewhere. He was picking up the gritty cabbage heads and pocketing them in his personal space pocket. I pondered the logic of this as Dusty sidled up behind me along with Sumia. For a minute I thought she would say something philosophical to get this terrifying thing to stop. But as usual, her unpredictability was on point.

"Don't lock him in the closet with Cynthia!" she yelled.

Sumia gave the petite girl an odd glance and asked, "Who?"

Dusty cringed, pulling any possible response she could out of her ass. "Uh…. M-my pet turtle, Snapple."

To make sure Sumia was too confused to question Dusty's rationale, I added to said confusion. "Sumia, Dusty: Cynthia is the Pokemon League Champion of the Sinnoh region. Gods, you people are idiots."

"Oh yeah! I haven't played Sinnoh in forever..." Dusty reminisced. "Blame Bravely Default. And Unova."

I nodded in agreement. Chrom gave us a confused look, so I coughed and steered the topic back to Emmeryn. "We can talk later about that, Dusty. We need to get to Emm fast so we may save her…And gods hope we do…."

Soon after that, we commenced the attack on Plegia. Robin had ordered that we be with our usual pairs, save for Dusty who was with Nowi this time around, and Libra who was with Ricken. Rei was also borrowing Amphitrite. The first to hit the castle was our group – we couldn't mess up, or it would ruin the rest of the plan. Stealth was absolutely necessary for this portion. After that, our East Feroxi group would scale the outer walls of the castle and get rid of their guard. The West Feroxi group – if they ever get here – would secure the castle courtyard.

That is where our fault would lie: the timing of the West Feroxi group, I'm sure of it. If that courtyard isn't secured, the Risen that spawn would be too much to handle. Basilio also arrived late during the chapter. He was only there for the escape.

"Hey, pay attention, all right?" Chrom snapped me from my thoughts.

I flinched, losing focus on the attack I had been preparing. I was supposed to be giving defensive support with my abilities. They were rather weak, but they were still effective. It involved manipulating the air around me to distort the vision of enemies, redirect attacks ever so slightly, or simply blast enemies with hot air.

"Sor—" An arrow whizzed by and I instinctively jumped to the left to avoid it. "Sorry…"

"The battlefield's no place to be daydreaming," he chided, stabbing a Plegian myrmidon through the chest.

"It's hardly the place to hold a conversation either." I tripped an axe wielder with my magic, causing him to fall right on Chrom's sword.

"I'm being serious. Pay attention, or stay off it."

I frowned at how somber he was being. It was annoyingly out of character, or in character for that matter. I really couldn't tell if this were normal or not. That was sad considering we're sort of a thing. From experience, anyone is only really serious around me when something bad has happened or they absolutely hate me.

"I can handle this. I live with my head in the clouds. It won't get me killed." It was true. I don't tune everything out when I daydream. I half listen, and provide input when needed. Chrom didn't seem to believe this and just looked at me with an annoyed expression. I could almost see the subtle eyebrow twitch. I sighed, continuing. "You worry too much. I won't fall on anyone's sword."

"Telling me not to worry is like telling me not to care," he said stubbornly. "Are you sure you can do this?" He cut down a Plegian mage that had been taking a bit longer than they should have to prepare a spell. "We know what happened in the last battle. I do not wish to repeat that."

I rolled my eyes, saying, "Have a little faith, love," as I slashed at another myrmidon that approached us. Chrom landed the final blow as per usual.

"Faith is no what I lack."

"Could fool me."

"I know you have the capability to protect yourself, but I worry to what extents you'll go to so you can prove this."

"I do take things too far, don't I?" The silence was answer enough. "Right…How can I do something stupid, if I'm too busy trying to make sure you're not doing anything stupid?"

Chrom raised a brow in confusion. "I had it that you were the lost sheep."

"Excuse me?"

"You're just cute like that. Like a little lost sheep," he elaborated, a smug smile gracing his lips.

"I'M CUTE?!" I gave him the look of doom; the one you don't want your significant other to give you. The smug smile wavered as if he knew what he was in for.

"N-Not c-cute, per se, but—"

I cut him off. "I wouldn't say another word if I were you, Prince."

"Um…Um…What did I even say that was wrong? There's nothing wrong with being cute—" My glare intensified, which in turn shut him up. Chrom looked around frantically, trying to find someone who could save him from his doom. "Oh, look! Robin!" And then he bolted.

Robin was nowhere to be—Oh. He actually is over there.

I made my way over to him. To be honest, he looked a lot better today than he had the whole course of the war. I guess it was because he proposed to Maribelle the other day. Long gone was the abusive Shipping Lord, and in his place was a truly cheery and happy man. I could see the Maribelle touch all over him. His coat and the clothes beneath it were now free of all dirt, save for the sand that had invaded it today. His hair was neater—albeit slightly—and his brown eyes sparkled.

"Finally, I thought you stand squabbling in the middle of the battlefield forever," Robin said dourly. Okay. Maybe he wasn't as happy as he looked. Now that I think of it, that sparkle could just be perspiration. "Everyone else is already ready to take the castle. East Ferox has infiltrated their guard towers."

"That only leaves West Ferox's attack," Chrom remarked.

"We're going to have to proceed without them," the tactician said regretfully.

"What? Why? Certainly we can…."

Robin shook his head. "You wanted to get your sister out of here as soon as possible, right? Then we'll have to continue on. They've taken too long already."

"Right…"

"Hey," I said as I nudged Chrom's shoulder. "It's going to be all right. We will succeed. And believe me when I say it: We'll do anything to stop this execution. Just you see. Gods damn anyone who stands between us, yeah?"

"…"

"Take it or leave it. I'm not giving any more motivation."

"Yeah."

He is the king of responses today. What's next? My own personal language of grunts? Hah. I wouldn't be surprised if he somehow picked it up, and then translated it to Lon'qu's language of grunts and they held a conversation. And after, he would be able to provide me every detail, and relay it to me in said language of grunts.

Robin raised his arm, grabbing the attention of the Shepherds and the army that had begun to line up behind them. The bluecoats present – that is what the Ylissean soldiers were nicknamed – were the best the entire army, save for the Shepherds, had to offer. With the East Feroxi soldiers already inside, it'd be a landslide victory. Most definitely. If no Risen were involved.

"Shepherds!" the tactician yelled. "Ylisseans! Feroxi! This is it; this is what you've been fighting so hard for during the past year." Robin stopped, giving Chrom a sidelong glance – he should have been making this speech.

The prince turned to his friend and they shared a look for a moment. Chrom nodded and faced the army. "Today, we end Plegia's evildoings and take back the exalt! We're strong, and we will succeed! The Mad King will fall!" The crowd of soldiers cheered loudly.

Robin nodded and asked, "On your initiative?"

"Soldiers, forward!"

I like to think he pulled that out of his ass, and that that is not actually a command. It was rather weak, if I were to be honest. Still, we charged the castle. I took the liberty of yelling my Mongolian war cry. It was a nostalgic thing that I will not go into detail about. It reminded me of home. And various inside jokes. I was pretty sure that I got a few odd looks, but I didn't care.

That's where the fun ended.

We instantly rid the courtyard of the legion that was stationed there.

We got rid of the executioner with the hand axe.

But it was in that moment that Aversa let out a cry.

That cry summoned a legion of Risen archers.

They all had there bows trained on the pegasus knights.

Those pegasus knights – all seven that had survived – were shot down like flies.

And now they were ready to let arrows fly at Emmeryn in a moment's notice.

Gangrel glowered at Chrom, letting out a maniacal laugh. "What are you going to do now, lordling? Your sister is as good as a pincushion at this point. Hand over the Fire Emblem, or I'll decide to sew banner."

_That was a horrible attempt, Gangrel._

"No….Damn you!" Chrom needlessly yelled.

The Mad King's eyes widened with madness as he held up three fingers. "Three!" He put down one. "Two!" Now a sole finer was raised. "On—"

"Okay!" The prince made a grab for the Fire Emblem that was strapped to his left arm so it may fulfill its true purpose. "I'll give you the Fire Emblem!"_  
_"Ho, don't so it!" I accidentally let that slip out. Damn you, inner person trying to be a cool kid!

Chrom's focus snapped to me as he said, "Don't call me that."

I quickly tried to fix this situation by saying, "…I said your name. What did you think I said?"

_** "Smooth." **_Aquarius mocked.

_ "Shaddup, Aquarius."_

The prince's attention immediately returned to Gangrel. He looked like he was about to say more, but Emmeryn's voice rang out from where she stood on the precipice.

"Chrom! You mustn't hand over the Fire Emblem!" The monarch stepped forwards gracefully, hands clasped together as if she were praying.

Chrom stiffened, getting an idea of what was happening. "…Emm! Wait! Don't do anything rash! I'm here, I'll save you, I-I won't fail you!" He threw down the Fire Emblem and began running towards his sister. It was annoying that he seemed to forget that it was a lose-lose situation. "Gangrel, you can take the Fire Emblem! Just let her go!" Emmeryn took another step forward.

Aversa mounted her horse, cackling madly and raising a thunder type spell of unknown strength. "Heh, it seems just that won't squash you flies…"

I instantly realized what was about to happen, and took off after him. Aversa was going to make an attempt to hit him, I was sure of it. Feet clacked over the sandstone while we both ran. The dark flier raised her arm – that is when I called out. "Chrom, watch out! On your right!" He took my warning and jumped to the side. Looking up, I realized Emm was much more closer to the edge. "Gods…Is Emm…?"

The exalt called out again. "I never wanted to give you such a legacy…" She inched to the edge. "What is that I can do you, now?" It was clear to see that all she could do was be a martyr. She could only fall to her death. That was the only good she could do in this situation.

"Emm, just come down from there! Before it's too late!" Chrom screeched. She couldn't climb down from the precipice. Emmeryn would come down for him, yes. But by falling to her death.

"Tut, tut, princeling…" Gangrel wagged his finger and let out another screeching laugh. "She'll be fine as long as the Fire Emblem falls into my hands..."

Emm was almost at the edge when she spoke again. "... I will give my everything to create peace... I refuse to let anyone suffer anymore..." She looked down at Gangrel, giving him what I could assume was a pitiful smile. "Even you deserve more love than this..."

Gangrel snorted. "Please. Your idiotic words do nothing, now. You can do nothing. Peace? Peace, is an illusion. The only thing you need is power to crush those who might oppose you and control those below you. You either use or be used."

Emmeryn took a breath, said, "…I'm sorry. Chrom, Lissa, I love you. Please. Remember that always." And so the great Exalt Emmeryn began to fall gracefully to the ground. That was when, with one final push, I sped forwards, outrunning Chrom as he let out a cry and stretched his hand forwards. I sprung forwards and—_ZAP!_

And I lost all momentum, electricity – a Thoron spell to be specific – raced across my skin, leaving me temporarily immobilized. I could only move again when a loud _THUD! _was heard. That thud was Emmeryn. And she was most certainly not alive. A loud scream, a wail was heard – presumably Chrom's. There was another thud as he fell to his knees.

"EMM! NO! EMM! YOU CAN'T BE DEAD! YOU CAN'T HAVE DONE THIS! IF YOU LOVE US, COME BACK! WE – WE—!" He was reduced to a sobbing mess. His shoulders heaved as tears flowed freely from his eyes and rolled off his chin to the sandstone floor below. My first instinct was to run over, hold him and never let go. But now wasn't the time for that. We had to escape first. Then there would be the proper amount of comfort.

…Comfort that I should not be giving. I failed. I had almost saved her, but failed when it mattered most. I wasn't strong enough to sustain that blast.

"Hm...Reduced to this, is the pigheaded prince." Aversa cackled and fired another Thoron at Chrom. That was a low move, and I swear, next time I see that bitch, I'll kill her myself. …If I actually can.

"WATCH OUT!" I jumped in front of the blast – that wasn't the brightest idea – and took the full brunt of the spell. So now, one could only assume that I was in the red. Quite literally, my HP'd probably be there right now.

"What a cute little kitten come to play~." Aversa sneered, raising her tome and getting ready to fire another Thoron spell. "Foolish enough to be my target practice, eh, girl?"

"E-Emm... This is just a dream... A-a dream... I'll wake up soon, and you'll be there, by me..." Chrom was shaking now, more trembling than heaving. "Like when we were little and I got sick... You held my hand and read me stories about heroes and magic... Y-you... Were always there... Always..."

I placed hand on his shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him. I wasn't going to cry, no matter how much I wanted to. I had to stay strong and help him be strong. That is what was needed. I thought that'd be easy. And now…It was hard to see him recovering from this. The state Chrom was in was pitiful. It was frustrating as well. The comfort I could give was only limited, because I knew I would run out of patience.

"ERIN!" Dusty swooped down and readied her tome, looking as if she was going to battle someone. Aversa presumably. I had completely forgotten about the witch's existence. "Get Chrom out of here! I'll try to cover your escape." Dusty wiped her eyes – she had apparently been crying as well. She then proceeded to voice her thoughts. "I hate this. Why am I even here? It was easier when she was just a bunch of animated pixels... I want to go home..."

Iris shook her mane, shaking Dusty in her saddle in the process. "Get the fuck over yourself... sorry. But no pity parties until everyone's out of danger. We can cry together later, okay, partner? But first... I want to make sure everyone gets through this! We will help! Erin! Got the game plan?"

Having nothing intelligible to say, I simply nodded and said, "Thanks for the help." I shook Chrom's shoulder, soberly saying, "Come on. We need to go."

"NO! WE NEED TO STAY! WHAT IF SHE SOMEHOW SURVIVED?! WE NEED TO STAY AND SEARCH FOR HER!" He shakily stood, heading in the direction of where Emmeryn landed. I blocked his path, pushing forwards, forcing him to go that way.

"Chrom, no. She's gone. We need to run. Now."

"NO! She can't be gone! I NEED HER! LISSA NEEDS HER! YLISSE NEEDS HER! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! She's my sister, my beautiful, wonderful sister, and I refuse..." Fresh tears sprung from his eyes. "T-to give her... Up..." Despite how much I didn't want to, I began to cry a bit at this point. Seeing him like this hurt.

"I'm sorry…" I grabbed my sword, clubbed him on the back of the head with its pommel – right where the medulla was located – and whistled for Amph to come. Thankfully, Rei had taken good care of her when she had used her in the battle.

I lifted him up into the saddle as Dusty continued to speak since Aversa had fled with Gangrel at some point when I had been trying to make Chrom leave. "Can I bitchslap him, too, when he wakes? ... Sorry, but... He was so dependent on Emmeryn, needing her to help right his world. And she's... Just... Gone. ... Argh! This is stupid! I'm off! No pity, no regrets, no sadness! We gotta be strong and fight for those we can't!" With that, Dusty flew off in the direction that our escape route was not in. Perhaps she was going after Aversa?

I jumped up behind Chrom on Amph, and kicked the Clydesdale crossbreed forwards. "I'm sorry…" I murmured, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear me, but I needed to say something. "I should've been able to stop her, and save Emm."

Lissa ran up to us as we neared the others, deciding to walk alongside me. "Lemme help!"

"Lissa, I don't need help. Amph is a strong horse, she can carry us both to Frederick."

"I know, but, I've got to do something!" Lissa looked away, seeming as if she were holding back tears. "I'm so useless. I can't fight and everyone needs to protect me! If I was more useful, maybe Emm..." Lissa hiccupped. "... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Lissa, half of us wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you," I said, trying to comfort the princess the best I could. "You've saved us dozens—nay, thousands of times."

"Yeah…" Lissa dried her tears. "Gotta be strong. For Emm. For Chrom. For everyone... If Chrom can't, you know, take it or bear it right now... I can help with the paperwork and the government policies and... Try to learn to fight."

"Glad to hear that. We need that strength now, more than ever, if we're to face Gangrel and win." That was true, and so I wiped my own eyes as well.

"Hehe. Gotta be more responsible. I can't... let myself be dependent on Emm, anymore." We neared the others. They were already saddling horses, throwing armor into the convoy (so that they may have more mobility), and strapping weapons to their belts.

"Hurry! We don't have long. Get a move on, lads!" Basilio yelled when we were in earshot.

Libra looked up from someone he was healing up. "I will find Sir Frederick, and you should rest while you can. Get a few minutes to yourself." I slid off Amph, and pulled Chrom off, placing him down near Libra.

"I'll never have time for myself, because that isn't what is important. Take good care of him all right...He doesn't need to see a failure." I sighed, and looked to the sky. "I think I see a silver lining." Wait, no, that's not a silver lining, that's Dusty on Iris swooping down at a very high and dangerous velocity. She was beat up, bruises forming on her arms and a nasty looking gash over her left eye.

"Yo, mah bitches. I be back. Aversa is tough. I... Well. Am sufficiently inadequate to deal with her." As if the condition she was in wasn't enough to tell me that. Dusty wrapped arm around my shoulder, still on Iris as she did. If it had been in any other way, it would've been impossible due to her height. "You wanna know a secret?" She looked like she was about to vent about everything, so I let her. "I suck at sports. I am not athletic and I am afraid of heights. I fight horribly with a spear, so I barely scraped by with my life and limbs attached." Dusty closed her eyes for a moment. "Ehehe, our little motley crew might be screwed. But we'll persevere, right?"

"Yup." I then did what you shouldn't do—I questioned Dusty's logic. "Why the hell are you a pegasus knight?"

"Because I do it for reasons. And I trust Iris with my life. You cheered up now, hearing my embarrassing flaws?"

"That's so sad…" I sniffled. Normally, I'm not this emotional, but I guess it's just the day.

"HEY! Listen, we're all human and screw up and basically we're all shit. But we're still here. We..." Dusty let out a sigh. "Let's rest, Erry. I can't be motivational and crap right now."

* * *

**And done. I apologize for this being a week late. I just got caught up in shit. Specifically Tumblr roleplay, because I auditioned for Maribelle for a group and got accepted. I know, awesome, right? I actually am okay at third person point of views. Le gasp.**

**Er, yeah, anyway. Here's the BTS for the chapter!**

Don't...

Chrom: Ho, don't do it!

Emmeryn: *jumps*

Chrom: Oh my gods

Oh, gods, why?

Emmeryn: Falling from cloud nine!~

Chrom: Emm! Don't!

Emmeryn: Crashing from the high!~

Lissa: Emm! We need you! Don't let go!

Emmeryn: I'm letting go tonight!~ Yeah, I'm falling from cloud nine!~ *jumps*

Chrom: …

Lissa: …

Emmeryn: Now I'm lying on the cold hard ground!~ AHHHH. AHHHH

Chrom: *facepalm* Be serious about this, will you?

Emmeryn: I don't know where the hell you got that idea!~ That stupid damn idea that you can control me!~ Ha!~ *holds sign* I do what I want!

Lissa: Emm, c'mon! This is supposed to be sad…

Emmeryn: So why so sad?~ You live and you love!~ So why so sad?~ Dependent on above!~ Searchin' for the dead sea scrolls!~ So why, so why so sad?~

Robin: Oi! Get it together! We're trying to shoot!

Emmeryn: Just…..Let it go~ Let it go~ Can't hold it back anymore!~ Let it go~ Let it go~ Turn away and sl- *shot*

Erin: *blows off gun* ….You are all very welcome.

Chrom: …

Lissa: …

Robin: …

Everyone: …

Erin: We don't need anymore queens singing songs about empowerment which were originally intended for villains, but the songs were too inspirational so they became "heroes" in the story. …Guys, she'll respawn in, like, five minutes.

Emmeryn: Immoooooo-Immortals!

Everyone: *facepalm*

?

Erin: Oh, hey kids! Wanna know how Jimmy died?

Kids: YEAHHHHHH! *confetti and shit*

Erin: He died.

Kids: O.O

The Farm

Rei: Old McDonald had a farm!~

Farmer: *tied up and gagged* MMMMPH! MMMPHHHHH!

Rei: *shoots Fire at it, burns down, farmer screams* HAD.

Aqua's Thoughts on the Signs (Based on Astrological Compatibility, from memory, sorry if I offend.)

Aries: Needs a chill pill

Libra: ...You piss me off. Stop being weird.

Scorpio: ...You are better than most.

Capricorn: U.U I. Don't. Like. You.

Cancer: Go fuck yourself in a hole.

Gemini: I don't trust you, but you're tolerable. We're alike, in ways.

Sagittarius: Back off land lubber! (Actually, I like you quite a bit. No homo.)

Pisces: Stop being sexual. Please. Gods.

Taurus: Please don't eat Cancer.

Virgo: Don't correct me! That's my job!

Leo: You balance and complete me. Come back to us.

Robin's Thoughts on the Hosts: Part One (Please Stop Eating the Hell Butterflies styled)

Erin: Seems smart...enough. Could try to not stare into space so much. Needs practice. Your sarcasm is annoying. STOP CORRECTING THE TACTICIAN! ...IDGAF. SH. No! Don't eat all the black olives! NO! I LOVE THOSE! ...GO SIT IN THE DAMN CORNER NOW. ...I heard that remark. That's it! I'm telling Chrom! …..Good, Erin. Now sit quietly. *Erin flips off silently*

Rei: I'm going to kill you. You burned my whole library saying that it was a sacrifice for the llama gods! ...AHH! DON'T HARM THE TACTICIAN! GO SIT IN THE CORNER! ...I DON'T CARE IF YOU CAN DESTROY ME, I'M YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER AND CAN REVOKE YOUR FOOD PRIVILEGES!

Brandon: You're developing a Cordelia Complex over Cordelia. Stop yourself before you get hurt. She doesn't lo-HEY! DON'T HIT ME! ...WHAT DID YOU WRITE ABOUT ME AND MARIBELLE?! ...You may keep your waifu.

Lucas: You could grow a backbone. If you love her so much, say something already...WHY ARE YOU THE ONLY NORMAL ONE?! ...I suppose it's natural selection when you grow up with Erin and Rei. ...Oh? So Rei's the only weird one? So it's all some comfort mechanism for Erin? Interesting, interesting.

Erin's Thoughts on the Shepherds At "Chapter 9" (Current/Met Future Shepherds)

Chrom: ^-^ I'm kinda afraid of you killing me at the moment tbh. I'm sorry for failing you...Please don't kill me.

Lissa: U.U She's going to turn into a serial killer, isn't she?

Frederick: My heads going to be on the end of a silver lance.

Sully: She's totally going to kill me.

Virion: He's going to die.

Stahl: He's too average.

Vaike: My days are numbered.

Miriel: You're hypothesis was incorrect.

Sumia: STOP BITCH SLAPPING ME

Kellam: STOP STALKING ME.

Donnel: SHUT UP, FARM BOY

Lon'qu: ...That sword is for peeling potatoes, right?

Ricken: M-Midget...STOP. I'M SORRY, OKAY?!

Maribelle: DON'T HIT ME WITH THE PARASOL!

Gaius: STOP WOMANIZING—I mean, stealing candy.

Panne: Screw your tribe, stop trying to eat my toes.

Cordelia: You cannot have that threesome.

Olivia: Dance. Just do it.

Anna: I DON'T WANT TO BUY YOUR DAMN TISSUES

Flavia: Fuck women's rights

Basilio: Fuck your damn country.

Gangrel: DIE.

Emmeryn: I'M SORRY

Aversa: *flips off*

Lucina: ...Don't kill me.

"Ephraim": WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!

→ Questioning Shit

Erin: Why does the theme for Smosh's BTS always play at the end of the damn chapters?!

Dusty: I made myself too epic. U.U I bet it's awesome that I'm a sucky pegasus knight, I'm unathletic and scared of heights... Anyways, you're the writer. You dictate these things.

Erin: ...Yes, but you also helped and insisted I included that.

Dusty: I'm talking about Smosh theme. I wanted to make myself very imperfect to balance the epic people.

Erin: Ah, so like I'm detached, you're scared of those things, unathletic and emotional? Damn. I need more weaknesses. Note to self: Be depressed as fuck next chapter.

Dusty: No, no, a good character has good traits and flaws because the flaws create conflict necessary for development and themes and lessons. You have to be flawed within reason. I just introduced all my... bad points and why I would die within the second of being in Ylisse.

Erin: *shrugs* Guess I just can't see my own flaws…

Dusty: Pshhhhhhh. Maybe you don't have any... I'm lying don't kill me.

Erin: I must find these flaws! Come, my friend! We must go on an epic spiritual journey!

Dusty: Hmm... Can I be that one person who critiques things? Because... WAIT DO I REALLY WANT MOBS OF ANGRY FANGIRLS/BOYS CHASING ME DOWN FOR MY OPINION?!

Erin: U.U Yeah, don't do that, because one; correcting people is my job and two; I would probably murder you and all your fangirls/boys.

Dusty: I claim friend benefits. You can't kill me.

Erin: I'll find a way. *scribbles in notebook*

Dusty: D-DEATHNOTE? THAT MANGA? YOU TRA- *coughs* Sorry. Beginning of a tangent.

Erin: 'Tis fine. I do that frequently...Speaking of tangents, aren't tangerines delicious?

Dusty: For the apples by the apples. Don't try and convert me. Except I hate apples. So convert me to tangerine-ism.

Erin: *opens ceremonial book* And from this point forward, with the power vested in me, you shall be known as the tangerine high priestess. ...Oh. This appears to be Robin's porno magazine.

Dusty: ... *picks up and sets on fire* You were saying?

Erin: Now, go forth and preach tangerines!

Dusty: Okay! By the power vested in me, I pronounce the Era of Tangerine. One more thing: everyone loves Noah. U.U it's a fact, not an opinion.

Erin: I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel something for him *sigh* Why do we all have the inability to hate him?

Dusty: U.U He's nicer and funnier. I think. You can be the Tangerine President- or dictator. We never said it was a democracy.

Erin: EQUAL RIGHTS AND HAPPINESS AND LOVE AND DEMOCRACY AND VOTING AND SLAVES AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND MAN SLA-EQUALITY!

Dusty: NO, ERIN DON'T GIVE AWAY OUR PL- I mean. Hi. Oops, gotta go. Bye.

Robin: Have any of you guys seen my por- I mean, my suspicious blue book?

Erin: Nope. *kicks ashes under convenient bed, runs away* DUSTERS! "SPIRITUAL JOURNEY", NOW!


	23. Chapter 23: Corn Husks to the Wind

**Now, I AM SORRY THIS IS SO…LATE. OKAY BUT IT IS BACK. I WAS BEING A SINNAMON ROLL AND SINNING ALL OVER FIRE EMBLEM: FATES – CONQUEST, ALL RIGHT?! THAT IS MY REASON. I'M DOING NOHR. SO, LIKE, UM, …. *cough* Which route are you peeps doing? Who are you supporting? Personally, I'm picking Xander. I have a thing for princes with hella hair, you see. *gestures at entirety of story* And I will shut up. Because I am pretty sure, half of you considered that last sentence a spoiler. Woops… Hah hah… Anyway.**

**If nothing in the inner monologue makes sense, then I have succeeded. That's what I intended on happening due to the established character of our lovely narrator. Basically, if you hadn't noticed yet (It was subtle and hadn't really been established) she's pretty irrational and a tad explosive when upset. That is all. I bow out. Your chapter awaits.**

* * *

**Chapter 23**

**~Corn Husks to the Wind~**

I never thought it'd turn out this way. I thought we'd win. We didn't. She's dead. The exalt is dead when we could have done something. Yet we did nothing. We sat by and did nothing. But do you want to know what hurt the most about it all?

It was the look on all of their faces. We promised to use everything in our power to save her. There was hate. There was rage. There was anguish, distraught yells, dread and that horrible look of betrayal.

Then we ran. We fled Plegia. And found ourselves in the bordering mire. There was a marshy, barren wasteland that situated itself right in our path. The Midmire.

Needless to say, as anyone who's played this game knows, this is when shit got even more real than it already was.

"Gods...Must they really do this to us?" I muttered, rather loudly from atop my horse, gaining the attention of many Shepherds.

Frederick glared, his murky brown eyes turning into a dark flame. Rage. Barely contained rage. "Perhaps we should leave you here to deal with them. I'm sure you could succeed at something, if your own life were on the line."

I looked away, biting my lip and bowing my head. It wasn't worth yelling at him over. None of this was. Yet I wanted to get mad. I wanted to throw a punch at him; end his hurtful gaze.

You know, it's funny, isn't it? How someone you care for can turn on you in an instant. Love you, and then hate you as much as they did love you.

I guess this is just that moment where I'm not wanted anymore. I'm a broken weapon, uses expended and now it's time to throw me away. Like they all do. People only seem to come and go in my life; few staying as long Rei, Lucas and even Brandon, Dusty and Noah, who I'd never thought I'd grow close to. So now it's time for me to clamp up and move on. Turn into a statue and retreat into myself. Forget. Run.

_I don't belong anymore._

"Milord?" I heard Frederick say to our currently vegetative leader. He gave no response, only the hard, set expression of a man trying not to cry. Well, cry any more than he had.

Despite how I felt, I refused to let Frederick keep me from his side. It wasn't because I'm an inseparable gi—ex-girlfriend; it was because I know what grief does to people. Majora's Mask taught me as much. I know he'll break the second we reach Mustafa's forces. I know that he'll try to kill them all in one mighty fit of rage. And I couldn't let the people he will rule think of him as a mad tyrant who goes slaughtering with his family on the weekends. If they are to follow him, it shouldn't be out of fear, but awe, because of his charisma and unwavering strength. Physically and mentally. He is the exalt now. Well, rightful heir to the title, which I am sure he will give up to honor Emmeryn.

"You mustn't hold it in, Chrom," I whispered, not expecting to be heard. "If you want to cry, cry. If you want to get mad, get mad." That was only met with silence. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a breath. "...Gods! I know you are mad at me! Yell, scream, kill me for Naga's sake! End it now before you regret not doing it…" Like me.

My words fell on deaf ears. It was true. No one cares anymore. Just as I thought.

"Why would I want that?" So the vegetable speaks. But why doesn't he want me dead? Emmeryn's death is my fault, isn't it? I don't deserve to live.

"I-It's my fault! I could've saved her if I had only been faster. If I had only been able to defeat Aversa before she could..." At the mention of the she-witch's name, I recalled the feeling of thunder magic racing over my body, incapacitating me. I had been completely useless. I felt tears roll down my cheeks, though I wasn't only sad, I was happy that I was showing some emotion when it counted, for once. "Don't you see?! I deserve to die!"

"..." Chrom looked over, his building rage finally showing itself. "Don't...Don't you say that! I don't need to lose another person to this godsdamn war!" Another person indeed. I knew he was thinking of the poor men and women that had died, and of his sister. He was a man with a mighty burden on his shoulders, and he didn't any more of this. Yet I just couldn't let it go.

"That's just too bad." I made my words sound as dark and harsh as possible, hoping it'd soften the blow, if that makes any sense. "You can't keep everyone alive. This is war, after all. Lives are going to be lost. What's the difference if it's mine?" The words sort of just hung there for ages. While I waited for a response, the sky finally opened up and unleashed the violent torrent of rain that the dark clouds and sadness had hinted at. It was as if the heavens were mourning the exalt, just as much as we were. And this just made the morale drop even more. It was becoming terribad. Very terribad.

"_**Someone's suicidal today."**_ Aquarius's voice echoed in my head. In all honesty, she was the last person I wanted to hear from right now. She could've easily helped me out when I had been shot down by Aversa. She could've helped saved Emmeryn.

"_Shut up, Aquarius. You're some emotionless deity; you wouldn't understand."_

I heard a growl come from her; a prelude to her angry rant. _**"I understand more than you'll ever know!"**_

"_What?"_

"_**You may think I'm just a goddess, but gods lose things as well. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you stop acting like a selfish brat." **_

After she said that, I felt as if several arrows had pierced my body. Selfish? Emmeryn died because I did nothing. It's only fitting that I share the same fate: Death. That is not selfish at all.

...Right?

Hearing no response from any of the people I was holding conversations with, I continued. "The death of the exalt is entirely my fault. I...I knew this would happen. I know every single major event that will occur. I could've prevented this."

"...Yet you said nothing of it?" Oh gods...was that a growl? Chrom growled at me? I guess that's justified. I'm a bitch who jumped in and screwed with all their lives, and didn't have the decency to help clean up her mess. So why wouldn't he? I guess he hates you now too, huh Erin? Great job. Maybe you'll get a nice, quick death. Hmph.

Wiping my eyes, I made a decision; to antagonize the prince for his safety. I'm too dangerous – we're too dangerous – to be around and useless if I – we – can't do anything to keep people alive.

"Yeah. That's right." I sneered, feeling the Shepherds' surprise and their harsh glares that were filled with betrayal. "I never gave a fuck about anyone, if that's what you are saying." I spread my arms out as if accepting a hug. "You may as well kill this monster now."

"_**What are you doing?!"**_ The guardian of the cold winter cried, trying to stop whatever I was about to do.

"_Telling the truth and facing the consequences of lying. I never said anything about knowing the future; only that I wasn't from this world."_

A series of impacts almost concussed my brain as if Aquarius were using all the power she had in there to stop me. _**"That isn't the wise decision!"**_

"_No, but it is the right one."_ The repercussions didn't cease. _"We may be one in the same, but at least I have my morals in place."_

"_**Lying is the only—"**_ I cut her off, not wanting to hear more of her delirious babble.

"_Once you're done spinning your lies, the spinning wheel does not stop. It just makes more and more thread, and you're left with a mess to clean up."_

"_**..."**_

"Stop lying." Chrom furrowed his brow; his now-raw baritone voice snapping out of my muse. How coincidental it was that I just had a similar discussion with Aquarius. "You're lying to yourself there. You do care."

"What? I absolutely do not care!" I clenched my fists and glared for effect.

He shook his head dismissively, seeing right through my facade. "When you lie, you so this thing with your nose. It's subtle, so you can't really tell unless—"

"That's BS if I've ever heard it. Why can't you accept that I don't give a fuck about any of you?!" I insisted, nose scrunching up.

"Lying," he deadpanned.

"I DON'T—"

"Still lying."

"GODS, WILL YOU JUST ST—"

"Will you just stop? Stop trying to cover up how you feel," says the vegetative prince who won't confide in his comrades. "It's rather selfish, don't you think?"

Selfish.

There's that word again.

"I-I know…." I stuttered, trying to find a solid response. "...I still didn't tell you how you could have saved your sister—" I know she comes back later, but… "—Gods...I'm so sorry...I know they're empty words, but that's all I can give you now. Just. Words. And I'm not even worthy enough for that…"

"Of course you're—" A handaxe flew through the air, cutting the prince off. Of all the godsdamned things…Frederick had wandered and bit off to the side and couldn't get there in time, but he called out all the same.

"Milord!"

"Watch out!" I yelled, steering Amph into the weapon's path of destruction. The axe embedded itself in my lower right leg, a scream erupted from my lungs. "OW! FUCK! …." Shaking it off for now, I gasped for air; looking to Chrom to make sure he was unscathed. "You all right?"

"I-I should be asking you that…" He glanced at his younger sister, who was currently preoccupied with her own cloud of sadness. Her pegasus was being used to carry Ricken, who had been injured pretty badly during the fight earlier. "Lissa! We need you over here!" Rather than giving a vegetative response, she nodded in affirmation and ran over.

I tried to pull an excuse to keep fighting out of the air. This was a fight where I did not want to sit out. I needed to make sure Chrom didn't do anything reckless. "I really am fine; I can hold it out—"

"Stay out of this, Erin!" He forcefully struck Amph's side; the stupid horse obeyed and began to slowly make her way off of the battlefield. Damn horse! Why can't you side with me for once?! "Keep Lissa safe from behind the rearguard while she heals that leg of yours." More like: "I don't trust you, so stay the fuck out of this fight and every single one after, since we have no use for you anymore."

"But—" I began to protest once more.

"Just go!"

I gulped, remembering my place in all of this. I had no right to speak to him like I always had; I never did. We weren't equals. "...Yes, milord." I muttered that while Lissa pulled on Amph's reigns as the horse neared her and she led us the rest of the way off of the field. When our destination became mere feet away, Lissa began to pull the axe out of the wound, unplugging a bloody pipe. She did it rather abruptly, making me let out another scream. Watching the blood pour from the wound, I wondered how it hadn't done so until now. Meh. FE logic.

While I mulled over this silently, Aquarius decided to stop being a depressed bitch and give some input. _**"When you receive a wound like this, I harden the skin in that area to keep the blood and weapon from coming out. For example, the axe didn't fall out and the wound didn't start bleeding until it was removed. This is only the case with these types of injuries though. If the weapon were to fall out before five seconds were up, this wouldn't take place."**_

"_How convenient…Skill acquired, Aquarius' Blessing."_

"You really need to be more careful," Lissa murmured as she held her staff up to heal my wound. The skin began to stitch itself back together, only leaving proof of forming scars. "It looks like that'll scar…"

I shrugged; taking that as par for the course. So what? It's just a stupid lil scar. Plus… "If I hadn't, your idiot brother would've been beheaded."

"He would've survived by some miracle. Emm always said that nothing could kill him. The world would have to end first…" Lissa frowned at that last part, remembering what had happened only three hours prior. "She always was the greatest guardian and sister you could hope for—always willing to give advice, a hug and reassuring smile." And that's when the waterworks started up. "I...I told myself I wouldn't allow myself more than two hours, but...I miss her so much!"

"Lissa…" I enveloped the petite girl in a hug. She began to heave as her cries became sobs. Sniveling and whimpering, she clutched onto me like a lost child would a found parent. "Shhh...Everything is going to be all right—it may take some time, but it will. Just you see!" I just hope my words are enough to save her.

"Hmph. That's….That's what everyone else has...has said...b-but I can't believe it." With that, I sensed some of her sanity ebb away. We're losing her fast! Come on, Erin, think!

"Hey, stop it, all right? I'm going to tell you a secret, okay? You can't tell anyone." Lissa looked up at me, curious as to what I would say next. I can't believe I'm telling her this. It could put the entire timeline in...Wait. I don't have to tell her Emmeryn is alive. I can just say that Aquarius didn't feel her consciousness leave this world. "Promise not to tell?" The princess nodded furiously, her childlike lust for knowledge becoming even more evident. "When Emm hit the ground and after we left the capital, Aquarius told me that she did not lose hold of the information on her consciousness."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"When a person dies, their body is the only thing that stays in the physical world. Meaning: The consciousness leaves with the soul, and that in turn wipes their consciousness from Aquarius's living database. Do you get what I am trying to say?"

"...She's...She may be alive?"

"That's right. Now you see why we can't tell anyone, besides other members of the Zodiac; this is top secret celestial being knowledge." She seemed to buy that, finally calming down.

_"Crisis averted!"_

_**"Her mental state seems to have returned to normal. Great job. A feat worthy of a god."**_

_"Mmkay..."_

"Thank you…" Lissa murmured, stepping back and forcing a smile. "But what about you? Why don't you smile?"

Smile? Why do I need to smile? "Why must I?"

"Because otherwise you're a big fat hypocrite!"

I sighed, not really feeling like dealing with this. This always happened. People would always call me out on the fact that my natural face expression does not include a smile; that I always looked unhappy. "Do you have to smile if you are happy? I can't help it if I don't, but believe me, I'm fine."

"I'm not expecting you to be happy, I want you to put on a smile like me for everyone else. That's basically what you've been saying for the past twenty minutes."

"Lissa, this isn't a time for sm—" She cut me off.

"The Shepherds need that now more than ever!"

She's right...Smiles are contagious, so if we start, it'll spread and everyone will cheer up...Right? Sorry, I'm new to the whole 'bring happiness upon others and boost morale' concept.

"When we set up camp then. What else could we do?" I asked.

"You have cooking duty tonight, right?" I nodded, telling her to continue. "Great! Then we can cook up something everyone will love!"

Considering what food we had lying around, I questioned the princess's idea. "What exactly are we going to do with bear meat jerky and potatoes?" She smiled creepily at that.

"We make magic, that's what!" Do not take that out of context, do not take that out of context, do not take that out of con… "You can make anything taste like anything with the correct combination of spices!"

"Since when did you become a culinary expert? Are you sure you can cook?"

"I'm not going to be the one cooking: You are!" Well, that's not terrifying. There's a reason why I blackmail Robin into skipping over my shift each time it was my turn. I can only make eggs (a breakfast dish) and store bought, five minute feasts (something that isn't accessible here). I never said things came out well in Home Ec…

"Me? Not a good idea. We're going to need to bring in an expert. Do you think Stahl would be willing?" He's a really good cook—he has to be with all the food that he eats. How else do you think he acquires that food?

"Why do you think we have so little food? Between Stahl and Gaius we don't get anything."

"Mhm, I bet half of what Stahl takes goes to Rei, honestly. She tends to steal people's food."

The princess pulled a book out of her space pocket and opened it. "It says it right here in Robin's Shipping Tome."

Princess say what?

"You stole Robin's book?!" When one steals from Robin and soils our goods, the fair tactician does not let them off very easily. Lissa should fear for her fate right now.

"Yup!" she exclaimed.

"He's going to kill you when he finds out. Princess or not, that's a death wish."

Lissa flipped to a page and held it up. On it was a very poorly drawn horse. "Not when he sees the brand new picture of a pegasus I drew in his book."

"That… That is a very...beautiful pegasus, Lissa." Beautiful was one word for it. I'm certain that if you squint your eyes and tilt your head, it sort of looks like one. "I'm sure he'll love it…."

"He didn't like my picture of Mari I drew in there, so I figured I should draw an animal," Lissa said, looking rather proud of herself. It was clear to see that she did not notice the sarcasm that had laced my words. Sure, it had only been a little bit, but she should've at least heard it and chose to ignore it. That doesn't seem like the case, however.

I promptly facepalmed, muttering to myself, "Gods…that poor man." Robin truly did have his hands full when it came to our motley crew. There was Lissa with her pranks, me with…I guess everything about me could be considered a big fuckup – in my eyes anyway. There's Chrom with his sometimes idiocy. I think he's been hanging with Vaike a bit too much. Oh, and Frederick with his crazy schemes to "Please milord". Whatever that meant. Most of the time it did quite the opposite.

Things seemed to be going well with the battle from where me and Lissa stood. That was until Mustafa and his squad made an appearance. For one, they were on the _wrong_ side of the battlefield. I just turned my head to look back and there he was! Like, dude, know your position. Rather than being at the fort, blocking our escape, he was behind us, unlike the game. He looked up at me, and I looked down at him, grabbing Lissa's hand and pulling her into Amphitrite's saddle. As soon as I kicked Amph's sides, Mustafa shouted.

"Stop in the name of Plegia!"

I glanced back once more, before facing forwards and forcing Amph's canter into a gallop. Why is he here and not one the other side of the battlefield? That's not how it was….Why isn't he where he was supposed to be?

"I don't know," Lissa said in response. Apparently, I had said that aloud instead of thinking it. "Why didn't you save Emmeryn?" Really? What's with the sudden change in mood? Gods, why does everything come back to that? I'm sorry for being such a failure. I'm sorry for being only human. Only…superhuman. That one reality hurt me so bad. I had the ability, yet I couldn't.

Exhaling slowly, I gave the best response I could. "Let's…just get you to your brother. Or somewhere else…Where someone more fit can protect you as, you clearly just implied, I am not."

Spotting an outcrop of rocks, I lead Amphitrite there, depositing Lissa there, and turning my horse to face the events that were taking place. Mustafa was now over near Basilio – about 50 feet away from the brutish man. How much Basilio abhorred the Plegian general was written with the angry look that compacted his features. The other man had a calmer look. Pity. It was pity that he felt for us. Even so, there was still a necessary roughness expressed. The kind that can with the territory when someone was a general.

Mustafa brought his tomahawk down to his side, showing that he did not wish to fight Basilio. He then went on to say, "I offer an exchange! I feel as though there should be no more death this day! I will fight Chrom in single combat until one of us is dead. If I win, we capture you. If you win, you can leave freely. What do you say?" No more death this day…You and me both, Mustafa, but we must…There's no choice.

"What," Basilio growled, raising his silver axe over his head, "is stopping us from killing you here?"

As if expecting that answer, Mustafa snapped his finger. Immediately, the ground around Basilio's feet was peppered with arrows. The khan stiffened, knowing full well that he should abide by this man's orders, but not showing it one bit. I could just tell without proof. Ye~ah~…..

"Lissa…" I glanced back at her, speaking softly, but commandingly. "Stay behind these rocks, all right?"

The princess didn't give me a chance to reason further. "You can't tell me what to do!" she yelled, staying on top of Amph and probably giving away our position.

"Just do as I say, and wait until Noah gets here." I was broken, and weak, and she saw it from my furrowed brow, frown and shattered wall. "I'm not losing another royal today."

Lissa jumped at the chance to pin – duly pin – the blame on me again. "Whose fault was that?"

Done with this, I stopped ignoring it and gave her my answer; the answer that I truly believe deep in my heart. "Mine and mine alone—"

What I hadn't expected was to be interrupted by someone. And I most certainly not expect that person to be Noah, even though I knew he would be heading over here ASAP to get to Lissa.

"You are right on one point," he said, before gesturing towards Lissa. "Get down Lissa."

"Fine…" the princess said, scrambling down from Amph's back and landing with a _plop_ in the mud. I decided to as well, sliding off my horse's back and pulling my weapon out of her saddle's sheathe. In hindsight, that was probably _never_ a good thing to do, so I placed it into the sheathe that was on my own belt.

Noah looked to me after Lissa made her way to his side, frowning slightly. "You are wrong otherwise. Everyone thinks it is their own fault, but they are all partially right and partially wrong. It is everyone's fault, so quit trying to carry the burden alone."

I am not carrying a burden if it is the utmost truth. Why couldn't he see that? This…I could've prevented this all! "Aversa was feet away from me. I could've killed her. Right then and there. But I wasn't good enough to handle the blast."

The assassin shook his head, holding up his bow a bit as he spoke next. "And I could have shot her with my bow, and bows are more effective anyway. See? My failure too."

_That's not the same thing!_

"No. You could not have. My sole purpose of being here was to stop all the events that lead to the end. And now she's dead. It was in my power! I could've done it, but I choked. I know I could've easily endured that Thoron, but...I-I didn't! I just...This is the beginning of the end. I hope you are ready for it." Gods, I am such a—

_SLAP_

Blinking, I slowly brought my hand up to my left cheek. It stung real bad, and it took me a few seconds to process what had just happened. And boy did I want to beat him up for hitting me like that. In fact, I was about to, but never got the chance because of the words that came next.

"You don't know why I am here do you? The reason I am here, the reason I have no powers is surely to take your failures. It will always be my fault."

Now, there are two options here. Me flipping shit and ruining everything again, or me walking away, thinking about those words and doing something productive. I was hanging onto the first one, to be honest. I wanted to beat this little (used lightly) fucktard to a bloody pulp. But, I knew that was just my annoyance speaking, and not me. That wouldn't be the right decision. I couldn't have the Shepherds think any less of me. Wait. That's what I wanted before. Fuck I don't even know. Respect or how it really is? Gods…This is why I don't make friends, because I always fuck things up and shit like this happens. I suppose I was never meant to have any. I'm so bad at keeping them…Someone may be facing some real shit out there, and I won't give one shit about it, yet I will. I'll tell myself that I care, but I won't.

_GODS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND! WHO THE HELL AM I?! SOME CONVOLUTED ROBOT, OR GODS DAMNED HUMAN BEING?!_

Dropping my hand to my side, I balled both my hands into fists, took a breath and started to walk away. There was no point in this. There were bigger things to worry about! Like, the battle that was going on! I'm such an irrational bitch when I'm upset…I should've been out there helping, not squealing like a little child to the guy who looks like he has mommy issues (sorry, Noah)!

_Fricken…Fricken…FRICK FRICKITY FRICK FRICK._

"_**What lovely inner monologue…" **_Aquarius deadpanned, having given up on her attempts to concuss me. For that, I was extremely thankful.

"_Well, SOOOOOOORRY!" _I thought bitterly. _"I can't help if I want to kill something!"_

"_**Actually, you can. It's called killing something."**_

"_OH, REALLY?! I DIDN'T FUCKING KNOW!"_

"…"

"…"

And that was the end of that conversation.

By then, I had come to a hesitant stop near everyone's favorite Great Knight, who had dismounted, and let his horse do random shit. He simply glared at me. Though, from the looks of it, it was the usual glare. He must've been too tired from this battle to put any effort into making me cry. At this point, there really was nothing for me to do. It was over. Mustafa lay dead where Chrom had slain him. As for why Mustafa wasn't the only one dead, some from both sides hadn't heard his orders for one-on-one until it was too late.

I was just about to turn and go sulk once more when I heard Freddy say something.

"….milord….."

"What did you say…?" I asked, not having completely heard him over his grumbling.

Frederick looked down at me as I looked up at him. He was frowning ever so slightly, and looked a tad annoyed at having to repeat himself. I would have been too, to be honest. Freddy closed his eyes briefly and sighed, speaking. "I said, if my thoughts interested you, I would say that you did an admirable protecting milord while I could not. But even though that has been said, that does not mean I trust you inexplicably with milord's, or anyone's for that matter, life quite yet."

But where is the lie.

I stared blankly, at the mama bear, brow slightly furrowed, looking him up and down, piecing together the true meaning of what he had just said. As I figured it out, I felt a half smile form on my lips. "Thank you for caring, Frederick."

He seemed confused by that statement, so I elaborated.

"If you didn't, you wouldn't bother pointing out my faults, and wouldn't have mentioned that you didn't trust me. You wouldn't have cared enough to make any of those observations."

And then he silently stared at me after that, so I creepily patted him on the shoulder. I wouldn't risk any more affection at this point.

"You're a great knight, Freddy," I said. "I'm glad you're watching over that….I'm glad you're watching over him for me. For him. For us all…" After that, I immediately stiffened, in anticipation. Something was coming.

"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Oh no.

"ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—"

It's my best friend.

"—INNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

_BOOM_.

_FSHHT._

_CLANK._

_OWWWWWWWWWW._

"STOP BEING SO DEPRESSED!" Rei yelled from on top of me. The _BOOM _was her landing, the _FSHHT _was my knees buckling and me slipping, and the _CLANK _was my armor hitting the ground. I was now face first in the mud, with her straddling my back. Lovely. She then forcefully brought both her hands down on the back of my head.

"OWWWWWW! REI, STOP IT!"

"Come on, Kat." Lucas casually walked up behind me, knelt down, and ruffled my hair. I SWEAR TO GOD, I WILL MURDER HIM. No one ruffles my hair. It is an abuse of their height!

"Lucas! Not you too!"

"Pfft. You guys are such bozos," Brandon said from somewhere to my left. "Crying and laughing over stupid things. You're all wi—" Rei pulled him down to our level. "GYAH!"

"Come on, Gonzy!~ It's time to bond!~ Stop acting like you don't care!~" she sang.

"I-I d-don't want to bond with the likes of you!"

"Sure you do!~"

I sighed loudly, sticking my face up and spitting out the mud. Craning my neck to Lucas the best that I could, I asked him why we were not in a caravan, running from the Plegians.

It was Lucas' turn to sigh. "We would be on our way by now, but Olivia isn't here yet with our ride. And don't worry, we should be fine for now. Miyaji set up a barrier." A barrier? Huh. I guess Sagittarius is more of a healer role then.

_GROOOOAN. _I don't want to sit in the mud under her like this…I wanna flee!

"Um…Guys…?" We all looked to Brandon as he spoke. "I don't think it's over yet…"

"Why?" We all said simultaneously.

He shakily pointed an outstretched arm at something that was moving slowly through the mud, smoke billowing around its green robes…green robes? Wait…no…that's… "Emmerisen."

Emmeryn…No…We can't have this now…Our spirits were just lifted! We can't…We can't be crushed any more than we already have… No…I refuse…to accept this injustice.

"Emmeryn….Sister…" I watched as Chrom stepped forwards, the arm the held Falchion limply hanging at his side. "You're…." He took one more step and stopped. Lissa ran up behind him, taking his free hand in her right one; the one that didn't currently hold her staff.

"Emm…" Lissa muttered. From the tone of her voice, I inferred that her eyes were watering at that. Perhaps Chrom's were as well. No one wants to see a dead relative. Especially one that has turned into a Frankenstein.

"Sister…This…You…" Chrom's grip tightened on Falchion's hilt and Lissa's hand.

"…She's just hurt, r-right?" Lissa pulled her hand free and stepped forwards, raising her staff. "Yeah…You're hurt…I'll fix you right up…" She moved even closer. At that exact second, more Risen landed behind Emmerisen—Emmeryn—damn that catchy name. The other Shepherds quickly ran off to deal with them.

"BLARGHHH!" Emmerisen cried, raising a Thoron tome and firing at Lissa. It hit the princess head on, flinging her back to the ground next to Chrom.

Something appeared to snap in him then. He shakily turned his head to Lissa's unmoving body, and then back to Emmerisen.

"S-sister….E-Emm…W-why…." He looked at Lissa again, raising Falchion, and turning to Emmeryn. "You…YOU….Hurt…Lissa…" Emmerisen raised the tome again, as if to land another hit on Lissa. "NO! DON'T TOUCH HER!" He ran forward, swinging Falchion in a wide, horizontal arc. The risen was cut in half at the waist, falling to the ground in separate pieces. It stayed like that long enough for Chrom to get a good look at what he had just done before turning into smoke and dissipating.

The prince turned and immediately ran to Lissa, falling to his knees next to her. "Lissa!" He shook her shoulders. "LISSA! Not….NOT YOU TOO!" Chrom's head hung in defeat as a silence settled in the area. A silence that was only broken by a groan.

"Gods….Big brother….Just five more minutes."

Chrom brought Lissa into a very uncomfortable hug. "I…I thought I had lost you too. …Thank the gods, you're okay…." If possible, he hugged her tighter, earning yells of protest from the princess.

"C-Chrom! I can't breathe! Stopppppppp! C-c'mon! L-let go!"

"You're never going to leave my sight or my side….ever again."

"BUT CHROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!"

"No 'buts', Lissa!"

"Oh, come ooon!"

I laughed at the scene, having gotten to my feet during that ordeal. It was cute to watch but I knew….It wouldn't last. The reality would sink back in. The reality of what happened then, and what had just happened. He may be happy to see one sister alive today, but he'll hurt over killing her. He would believe it to be _again_. That he had done it twice…

All we could do was prepare for that shitstorm.

"CHROM! SERIOUSLY—EWWW, YOU KISSED ME! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME AGAIN?!"

"Aw, Lissa, it hurts! Can't your brother show how much he cares for you?"

"BUT NOT IN THAT WAY! THAT WAY IS TERRIFYING!"

Gods…This dorkdom of Ylisse is doomed.

* * *

**I have no BTS today. Meh. I think that ^ is enough. It initially had a – if possible – even happier outcome. But yeah. I sort of like how it turned out. After the first half, the writing style *might* have changed. I dunno. I've been writing more…doing RPs on tumblr…etc. As well as finals. Hah…Finally out of school! Well, that's it! Oh, I'd like to know about your plans for FE Fates! So, like, do tell me about it! Bye!~**


	24. Chapter 24: The Meaning of Our Birth

**I have nothing important to say, so insert disclaimers and shit.**

* * *

{Playlist}

{"Startear" SAO 2 – English Cover by Leeandlie}

{"aLIEz" Aldnoah – English Cover by Leeandlie}

{"X.U." Owari no Seraph – English Cover by Leeandlie

* * *

**Chapter 24**

**~ The Meaning of Our Birth ~**

Eventually, we returned to Ferox, bloody and battered, shells of the people we once were. At least, that is what I felt like. A corn husk thrown to the wind…Our Feroxi accommodations consisted of an entire wing of the West Khan's castle and a small makeshift barracks. A handful of Shepherds, namely Vaike, Nowi, Rei, Miriel, Maribelle, Lissa and Cordelia, loitered about the room. Each had mixed feelings about what had transpired – sadness and anger being the only similarity among them.

Personally, I sat slumped over the large circular table in the middle of the room, facedown with my arms wrapped around my head. There was no need to be happy about anything, hence my mood. I've never taken _big _losses well and this was no exception. I suppose that was just part of my character. An annoying part of it, to be honest.

I found myself muttering aloud for everyone to hear, wanting to interact somewhat. I wasn't _entirely_ lost to my emo bubble. "Anyone else feel like…I dunno…curling up and just dying?" Vaike's voice boomed from somewhere to my right as I felt a hand be placed on that respective shoulder. That left me to believe that it was his.

"Teach can solve that problem!"

I shifted my shoulder, shrugging his hand off of it. I had never interacted much with Vaike and I wasn't going to start now. He seemed like a nice person, but his attitude in the game really pissed me off. "I don't like to be touched. Please back away from the emo bubble."

Lissa snickered from somewhere on my left. "You wouldn't mind if it were my br—"

I screamed in indignation. These idiots were pissing me off. "AHHHH! JUST SHUT UP!"

Quick footsteps sounded behind me, indicating that whoever it was - was running. They stopped abruptly as something hit my back rather hard. The high pitched voice that yelled told me that it was Nowi. "You wanna plaaaaaaaay?!"

"GET OFF ME!" I tried to force her off, but the manakete weighed a surprising amount. "How…How can any of you be so cheery?! We just got back from…from…"

Miriel's sophisticated voice sounded from somewhere behind me. "Coping a method." She must've pushed her glasses up from the small click I heard.

"...Well, that's an interesting way of doing it..." I lifted my head from the table.

The idea was vaguely familiar to me: Cheering your friends when all hope seems lost. When everything looks bleak…they'll count on you to make the sun shine again. Wasn't that my job? To keep my friends safe and happy? But…now they're doing it for me. I'm leaning on them. This isn't how it's supposed to work. I'm…That's…That's my job.

"Let Teach show you something!" Vaike said, putting his – Gods no, don't touch me, you fool – hand back on my shoulder – GYAH GET IT OFF. He pried me from the table – DAMN HIS STRENGTH – and forced me to sit back in the seat. Rei then ran in, jumped onto the table in front of me, reached her hands out and forced my mouth up in a smile. Vaike then laughed; stripped of its usual band, his hair hung loosely around his face, no longer held back and spiky. He had a smile plastered on as well, Nowi too. Hell, I even saw Miriel and Frederick – who had just entered the room – give small ones of their own. They were all making an effort – a real effort. I saw the sadness and defeat that lingered behind their eyes, yet they still put on a brave face. "See? You're dragging the rest of us down with your sulkin'! We're all right, so why aren't you?" After Vaike said that, I gained a new respect for him. Maybe he was better than I thought to be. He's actually a pretty good guy.

Feeling incredibly uncomfortable, but happy enough, I let out a laugh. Hearing it, Rei relented. "Thank you…You're right. This is no time for sulking. We need to focus on the halidom's survival and upholding Emmeryn's ideals." I said, pushing the chair back and standing. "We need to get Robin planning on our comeback!" Pumping my fist, I continued. "I'll go bug him! We'll take those fuckfaces by storm!" I headed towards the lovely tactician's bastardized study until Cordelia said something completely unexpected.

"Have any of you seen Chrom?"

Actually, no, this was normal. I'm pretty sure I heard Brandon's angered screams in the distance.

I sighed, turning to face the pretty lady. Damn, how'd she do it? "He locked himself in his room. I've been avoiding the place like the plague. I don't want to end up broken like the training dummies that…have been vanishing…"

"Go see him! Someone needs to!" Vaike said as if it were obvious – and in a way, it was. What else can you do with your friend or someone dear to you is hurting? Certainly not avoid them.

I responded to his outburst almost immediately, an annoyingly accurate retort already forming on my lips. "Why not you, you oaf?!" In hindsight, that came out harsher than intended; as did every other thing I said. The way everyone (except Frederick) in the room flinched was proof enough of that.

The knight approached the table, answering in Vaike's stead. "That would be the perfect course of action, however Vaike has already attempted that. So have Lady Lissa and I." Frederick also looked a tad disheveled as well. He no longer wore his confining armor, settling for the dress shirt, dark pants, and boots that normally rested underneath it. "The only one considerably close to milord that hasn't tried is you, Erin. If you don't mind my saying so, I believe that you should go do that before Plegia takes over Ferox."

While that came out polite, if one were to translate it, it'd be the equivalent of "Get your ass over there now before I break your skull with my lance." The forced smile said as much.

I frowned. "What about Robin?"

This time Maribelle stepped in, her appearance having not changed in the wake of the calamity. "Inconsolable."

"I'll take that as you time."

"…How kind of you, darling. I need to cheer up my fiancé, and you know the exact way that will be most effect—"

"WE WERE ALL THINKING IT, MARIBELLE!"

The noble gave a triumphant smirk.

We were all irked.

Slowly, but surely I made my way to the door.

The door.

About six or seven feet of dark oak wood, intricately designed like the rest that lined this hallway. The only difference was the weight that settled in my stomach when I saw it, and who was behind it. There was also the mystery of it. What else lied behind it? Would there be any going back once I entered? No. There's no going back. Once I put that foot forward and turn the knob, that's it.

I took a breath, sizing it up once more, admiring the patterns to stall. I did not want to see what was behind that. That much was certain.

But whatever is behind it needs help; I am a selfish person, I always have been, and I will be even more of one if I don't come to his aid.

Reaching a hand forward, I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. Damn. I forgot that he locked it.

"_Aquarius….Can I have a little favor?" _I asked the deity.

A subtle click was the answer to that. Thank the goddess.

I was about to reach for it again, and then I remembered my manners.

_Knock knock_

No response.

"I'm coming in, whether you like it or not," I said, pushing it open.

Inside was certainly a sight to…behold, I suppose. The prince sat on the ground in the center of the room, motionless (alive, mind you) and evidently brooding; staring blankly at the door, as if expecting Emmeryn to step through it any minute. Poor soul. The happiness of seeing Lissa alive had fled him almost immediately after we returned. Nothing else was near him except for Falchion, his comfort toy. (I am neglecting to even acknowledge the yellow felt and stuffing littering the ground.)

I stepped across the room, kneeling in front of Chrom, uttering only three words.

"I am sorry."

His eyes filled with something…was is recognition? I believe so. They watched me intently, almost as if they were pleading – pleading for some sort of elaboration on what has been said. The lack of light in his once-strong steely blue gaze was pitiful, and it pressed me even further to do what I did next.

Leaning forward, I gathered him up in a hug, resting a hand at the nape of his neck, delicately caressing it with my thumb while the other rested at his lower back. I knew nothing about human interaction, and even less about comforting gestures; that much is obvious. Even so, I tried my best.

"It's time to collect yourself, rally your forces and take back Ylisstol," I whispered. I know these words aren't comforting, but while comfort is needed, the overall goal was important right now.

He stiffened at my touch before molding into it, resting a head on my shoulder. "There's…." he finally spoke, but stopped abruptly when he realized how he sounded. His voice was raspy, nonexistent even, as if it hadn't been used for a while. And I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. It had been two weeks, after all. Chrom tried again. "There's no point. She is gone, Erin. We have lost."

I stopped the hand that had been massaging his nape, getting rid of the gentleness I was trying so hard to keep. "We've only lost because you've given up, _Saukerl_!" I didn't see him flinch, but I felt it in the way his breath hitched. I had been too harsh again, it seems. But now it is warranted. "_Arschgrobbler_," Ah, how I loved cursing at him in German—Sorry, off topic, "don't you understand?!"

"…You don't understand, that much is clear." Even as he said that, I still held on tight. "So, what? We may win back Ylisstol, but we've still lost my sister. That's still a loss—"

"_Nien! Dummkopf!_" I raised a hand and rapped once on the back of the head.

"Ow…"

I smirked in satisfaction, but let it drain from my features, heading back to the topic at hand. "Look at what you still have. Isn't that enough? If we keep moping over what we have lost, we miss what's right in front of us; the pure emotion shared and the experiences we all partake in. If you are lost in the past, you can never become lost in the moment, love."

"But—!"

At that moment, Lissa stepped in, glancing around once. When she spotted us, (I assume this is what happened, I was not facing the door) she immediately sat nearby. Instinctively, I pulled away, giving him some space, and the ability for him to see his sister, and her him.

"Chrom…," the princess offered a weak smile. "Are…" Lissa sniffed. "Will…Will we be all right?" She was finally letting her façade fall, wasn't she? She had looked so cheerful before, but now…It was hurting me to see it. Even our ray of sunshine was suffering.

"Lissa…," He wouldn't face her; his puffy eyes were probably the cause of that. I, too, would've been embarrassed to show myself. But still, where was the shame in comforting your sister who's, more or less, in the same state as you? "…How…How have you been coping…?" He dodged her question. Damn, the nerve….

"I've been fine…Just scared, is all. I've mostly been worried about you. Will you be all right, big brother?"

Chrom shook his head. Of course he couldn't see the light; he had fallen too far into the abyss of sadness. "We…no, I will never recover from this. You both….you both have something to give to the halidom. I am worth nothing in comparison…Put your faith in someone else…Someone stronger…"

"Shut…." Lissa started, gaining Chrom's attention, though he still did not face her. I had an inkling of what was to come next. I was aware of her feelings on certain topics. "SHUT UP!" Her brother jumped, looking at her incredulously. "You….Don't…DON'T YOU DARE SAY YOU'RE WORTHLESS, YOU JERK!" The princess was shaking – with rage, perhaps? – as tears streamed down her face. "IF ANYONE SHOULD EVER FEEL WORTHLESS, IT'S ME!"

"What, why—?"

"I SAT BY AND DID NOTHING. THAT'S ALL I EVER DO! NOTHING! EVEN WHEN I GAINED THE ABILITY TO FIGHT, I STILL WAS TOO WEAK! ALL I COULD DO WAS WATCH AS SHE…AS SHE FELL FROM THAT DAMN CLIFF!"

"Lissa, I didn't do anything—!"

"SHUT UP AND JUST LISTEN!" She brought her knees to her chest as she screamed. "YOU TRIED! AT LEAST YOU TRIED! …S-SO DON'T SAY YOU'RE…..YOU'RE WORTHLESS! …I'VE BEEN LIVING IN YOUR AND EMM'S SHADOW FOREVER! I…I—!" Lissa broke off into sobs and hiccups, giving us both a window of time to speak.

"Lissa…," Chrom took the opportunity. "I'm…sorry. I didn't think about what you felt. I was so selfish, locking myself up…when others are feeling the same pain…" He leaned forward and held his sister close as she sobbed into his shoulder.

It was a heartfelt sight. I felt my feels being ripped out, placed on train tracks, and being hit by the feels train. Over and over until I felt myself tear up a bit. I had no business crying or witnessing this…but I couldn't help either of those things. They needed to happen.

After a while Lissa pulled back, her sobs having subsided. She crinkled her nose in disgust and stared at her brother. "Geez, you smell…Are you drunk or something? Gods, do take a shower, Chrom."

Well, Lissa, we were all thinking it. We just weren't saying it.

The prince looked away, reddening. Eventually, I heard an awkward chuckle and then full blown laughter.

Looks like the dork family's at it again…It was…invigorating to watch. They looked so happy, yet so sad at the same time. This recovery…It's killing me. I should leave. Yeah. That's what I should do. I pushed myself to my feet and made my way over to the door. What had I been thinking when I had gone to help? Lissa did it just fine on her own. He should be heading out tomorrow to face Plegia thanks to her. What I would give for a sister like that. She truly is a healer of both physical and emotional pain. I placed a hand on the knob and began to turn it. Soon, I would be out of here and that would be for the—

"Erin."

One word, one name, stopped me.

"Thank you."

_Sniff_.

Damn these emotions…Gods damn this dork. Gods damn this family. Gods damn this game. Gods damn this fucking survival game that we must play.

I slowly resumed turning the handle.

And then stopped.

In one fluid motion, I had turned myself around, and enveloped him in a hug once more, this time being the one sobbing. Someone jumped onto me from behind, that someone being Lissa, and hugged me as well. Perhaps, she was repaying me for when I held her the other day, or she genuinely cared. I knew one thing: I loved this family too much. These dorks…I'd put down my life for them.

"I…Hah….I'm so weak…," I sniffled. "…being swayed by these petty human emotions…"

I heard a sigh escape Lissa. "Well, you are only human. Stop acting like you aren't."

Perhaps I have always been acting that way – feeling like my emotions weren't necessary, and that it is better that they are suppressed because in the end, they don't help the situation. I had always thought that emotions make you weak; love makes you weak; compassion makes you weak. I guess I've been wrong this entire time.

"I—Thank you. You—you both—you mean so much to me," I murmured. "I'll never deserve such—such amazing people in my life." I felt something ruffle my hair, and I immediately popped my head up, one thought on my mind. _Murder._ It wasn't like I cared if my hair was messed, I didn't. I hated how this established dominance amongst my squad. I did it to everyone, no one did it to me. "Did you seriously just do that? AFTER I POUR MY FUCKING HEART OUT!"

Lissa who had fallen back when I looked up, began to giggle madly. I turned and glared back at her, even though I was certain she wasn't the offender.

"There she is." I turned my glare to Chrom as he spoke. "You know, that was really out of character." _YOU'RE OUT OF CHARACTER, ASSWIPE! _"We can't have that, now can we?" _I WILL RIP YOU LIMB FROM LIMB! _"…Especially if we're going to take down Plegia." _YOU FUCKING FUCKTARD—_Wait, did he just…?! We're going to do this? He's okay?

"You mean…You're…gonna do it?"

"Yeah."

*****How it actually went*****

"…Well, I'm not all that eager to, to be honest. With proper motivation…~"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Nope, dead serious."

"Fucktard."

"Love you too."

"You wish I did."

"I know you do."

"Lissa. I suggest you leave."

…

"Lissa?"

The princess was already gone at that point, leaving us alone. He had _the eyes_ set up. He fucking knew. Prick. He knew how much power those had over me. Godsfuckingdammit. I'm one to believe in abstinence, you see, so this was going against _all_ of my morals. And so I just shifted awkwardly in silence, trying to avoid _the eyes of doom _as best I could. Fricken dorky princes who are fucking puppies and you think they're in for the puppy love but NOOOO they whip out the puppy eyes and you know you're fucked. Quite literally. Whether you like it or not.

It's more of a fear, you see, or nervousness keeping me from it. Commitment? Perhaps. But damn, in that second I knew I'd do anything to ensure his godsdamned happiness. Thinking of it, it's my stubbornness above all else. I don't want to see that light of victory. But…I want to see happiness.

I sighed, glancing up slowly. "For you. Anything."

He shook his head. "No, for you."

Fuck. Shit. Crap. _Archloch_. _Dummkopf. Saukerl._

Actually…

I'm not entirely opposed.

Godsdamn my femininity.

* * *

**WELL I FINISHED. I DID THIS IN THE CAR ON THE WAY DOWN, AND ON THE WAY BACK FROM FLORIDA AND WELL THAT'S WHY IT HASN'T BEEN UPLOADED. BUT I FINALLY FINISHED AND HOLY SHIT SO MUCH STUFF WAS DONE. I got accepted for Lissa in that same RP Group I mentioned a few chapters ago, as well as started up a Camilla one for reasons. If you're interested in seeing any of those, check out my profile page, yo. Don't forget to favorite, follow and review~**

**AND I AM OUT PEACE.**


	25. Chapter 25: How'd I Let It Fade Away?

**Chapter 25**

**~ How'd I Let It Fade Away? ~**

I wish I could say, just like that, things began to change for the better. Well, yes. I suppose they did. But, of course, they didn't stay that way. Time progressed, pushing on, being that little butterfly that loops and swerves throughout the sky, any change or flap a possibility to change history. Things stayed relatively the same, the world took its deep breath and then dove headfirst, taking down the first evil that stood in its path: Gangrel. The battle that we faced him in wasn't anything to record, in all honesty. He dropped like a fly. What came after him….that was something else entirely. Twenty of us dropped. Four were Hosts. Fifteen were normal soldiers. One was a Shepherd. Two of those were some of my closest friends.

Brandon Gonzales. Lucas Meringer. Violetta Valen. Noah Smith. Miyaji (I never knew her last name). All of them were just names written in red ink on a casualty list now, no longer of this world, and no longer here to aid us. Since that attack….That darkness I saw…Aquarius has stopped speaking to me. Rei and Dylan told me that their Zodiacs have stopped talking as well. Whatever that dark vortex that swallowed the others up was, it had caused the deities to flee. I had never felt loneliness as I did now, being the rotten, horrible, spoiled, privileged girl that I was. To think that I kept that mentality up until now? Had I really thought that I could keep them alive?

Those horrible thoughts were everywhere, spurred by grief, perhaps, and spurned even more by me. I never really knew Violetta or Miyaji, they were enigmatic. In a comical sense, it is much easier to bear life with Noah gone. But in a serious sense, I guess I do miss him, despite how he often asserted his "greatness" upon everyone. Brandon and Lucas…They hurt the most. Two kind and sweet guys that I grew up with dead in an instant. I can't believe I've admitted that about the former, but I suppose he was sweeter than he put out. Lucas moved when we were younger so I never saw him much until he ended up in Ylisse. Even so, he would always be there for me to offer a hug or a shoulder to lean on and now….now all I can do is allow myself to move on.

I can't.

Yes, I admit it.

I'm too weak. Or, perhaps, strong for holding onto this world's small gifts that are constantly trying to free themselves from my grasp.

But because of that, I can see my fate clearly now, and I understand Emmeryn's stance. Whatever sweetness left in the world was supposed to be preserved, even if you must sacrifice yourself in the process. I understand Chrom and Lissa's grief; to lose, and win, yet lose more as you do so. This world is so cruel…We must push past it now, or we will fall. Emmeryn was, and Chrom and Lissa are leaders in this world. And now I've made myself a part of it. They're strong, I am not. But that's not what a true leader is, I've seen it myself. True leaders can be considered cowards, and that is what some are for at times they must run to keep those that follow them safe. Flee battles, put up walls. Or stop the fighting, bring peace.

It's been a year and a half since that battle with Gangrel. Life went on as normal: the royal wedding happened. Lucina was born. I would fill you in with the events, I wish I could, but I don't remember anything after the loss of my friends. Rei and Dylan have filled me in on what I've…forgotten – the disappearance of the Zodiacs, the wedding, Lucina's birth… - but I can't help thinking, "Is this really all that I've wanted?" Is this some fabrication? Why can't I remember my own wedding? My own daughter's birth. Even glancing at the occasional smile from Chrom leaves me with a hollow feeling, as if everything that I thought we ever had had turned to dust. These doubts…are very much a part of me as the rest of my personality. I _always _doubt everything – I never have blind faith, and now that's become too much. I can't trust in my supposed memories.

I don't want to be that broken bitch who throws the story into a loop, but nothing feels _right. _I need answers. And I need them now.

I pushed the chair out of the desk I sat in, sparing a pitiful glance at the child that sat across the room. _My _child. The one I don't recall having. Poor Lucina…I shook away the thoughts and hurried out of the room. Where to start? The library, of course. That's where one went when they were uncertain. I didn't know how much the Ylissean library would have on….No. It won't have anything. This world knows nothing of the celestial powers at work. I continued down the hall. I needed to make it to the stables. I needed to leave here. I needed to find this force of evil. _I need an explanation_.

Frederick appeared at the other end of the hall, and upon seeing my hurry, allowed a look of worry to wash over his features.

"Milady, is there something—"

"No, but thank you for asking, Frederick. I'm simply walking about, no need to worry about me," I replied sharply. I had no time for his intervention. And so I quickened my pace, zipping around the corner. I was nearly at the first floor when I heard voices – Chrom's and Robin's – echo from below. Looking around wildly for a room, I dove into a servants' door the moment my eyes settled in it. I counted two minutes before sliding out of the servants' corridor and sprinting down the stairs.

After three more minutes, I was at the entrance to the palace; two more and I was in the stables, saddling up Amphitrite. The stable boy gave me an odd look, and even moved to helped, but I waved him away with a "Shh…I'm just getting out of meeting. You never saw me, okay?" The boy nodded as I led the mare away. As soon as we were clear of the building, I jumped up onto her back, digging my heels into her sides. The horse broke into canter, and then a gallop, racing across the courtyard, unhitched through the gates as both guards were asleep, and through the streets of Ylisstol. I had forgotten a cloak, so those that did catch me as I zipped by gasped and waved. Those that were vendors offered me wine and bread, but I simply ignored it, focused on the city gates.

It wasn't long until I passed through them, flying past the small groups of trees until I was in the true field. I would've stopped there but something urged me on. Something that was buried deep within me. Why I wished for this freedom was a mystery to me, all I knew was that I _must _leave.

The field was a green expanse, as per usual. Only when we were far out did I let Amph slow and nibble at the grass. I slid off her back, patting her side gently before crouching down to look at the sky. It was just before sundown, and the sky had taken a beautiful orange and pink hue.

Out of nowhere, my eyelids began to feel heavy – it wasn't even dark, and yet…I couldn't keep them open. Feet crunched behind me. A chill ran down my spine; my instincts screamed at me to get up and run, but I couldn't. Whatever drowsiness that had come upon me had rendered me useless. This was not natural.

"Hm….?~" The person hummed. Their voice was feminine and laced with venom. "It seems the little _princess_ has fled from her castle….Such a shame too. She was much safer there. Now…" I couldn't see her face, but I knew a smirk had crossed this person's lips. "Let's bring you back to your senses, why don't we, dear?"

A fierce spasm wracked my body – I didn't know what she had done, but it was incredibly painful – and then there was nothing. No pain. Not even a doubt, just…something forming in my throat. _A laugh_. The gleeful noise erupted from my mouth as my eyes opened. This person…Whoever they were…Had set me free. Whatever had lain under wraps had reached the surface. It was clear for me to see now that my memories and all those people I had…fooled that told me what had been were complete lies. This was where I belonged. This was who I was.

"It's good to see you back, Aquarius." A smile split the white haired woman's face, her pale skin reflecting the remaining light and casting an extraterrestrial glow throughout the area.

"It's good to be back, Raava…" I offered a wild smile in return.

"You always were a crazy being."

"Hah. You know what they say. Those born under me are either psychotic criminals or humanitarians. I'm glad you've awakened my _true_ self."

**I'm sorry for how short this is. But this is something I've really wanted to get to. It's been 4 months since the last chapter, so I also felt it was necessary. September 21st was the one year anniversary, and this was supposed to be ready by then, but I got caught up in the Marching Band season and Volleyball, which has started again.**

**This twist has been in the making since the first chapter, except Gangrel wasn't supposed to be skipped initially. I didn't know how I was going to write that fight, or the wedding since I lost the script I made, and Lucina's birth because honestly…I don't like writing pregnancy/childbirth. The deaths were planned since the beginning. I do not know if I will add more OCs…Even the ones that people submitted. I find it annoyingly hard to focus on multiple OC's and characters at once, so I apologize if I don't end up adding your OC.**

**In other news, I preordered the special edition of Fire Emblem Fates with all routes on one card and have been pissed at Nintendo because they patched TubeHax, so I couldn't play my Japanese version of Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest. Ahhhh I'm sure they'll fix it….Anyway. Um. Review Fav and Follow I guess? Bye!**


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